FORRU-CMU
The Forest Restoration Research Unit of Chiang Mai University (FORRU-CMU) has dedicated over thirty years to promoting forest restoration and preservation in Thailand and Southeast Asia. Their work includes scientific research, publications, and outreach programs, making them an invaluable resource for environmental restoration efforts in the region.
When FORRU-CMU partnered with Infonomic, it was clear that their repository of knowledge was important. However, like many smaller research organizations, their capacity to effectively curate and share their material online was constrained by their primary focus on advancing science and academic results. FORRU’s online presence, while functional, needed improved design, organization, and accessibility to better support their mission.
Challenges Faced by FORRU-CMU
FORRU-CMU faced operational challenges common among research-focused organizations. Finding and sharing important research material was difficult, both for the public and for internal staff looking to build upon previous work. Responding to requests for publications was a time-consuming manual process; papers, books, and book chapters often needed to be found, scanned, and emailed as PDFs, or in some cases, delivered by post.
With a "can-do" culture and limited resources, their online communications were approached as an extension of their research efforts — something they could “make work” in-house. While this resourceful approach was understandable, it underestimated the expertise required to build a digital library and an effective communications platform. It also meant their achievements and substantial collection of publications were not fully utilized, missing opportunities to effectively engage donors, researchers, and broader audiences.
Staff also faced other administrative burdens. They were often required to create and submit academic and professional bios for conference applications or collaborations, as they lacked a central, professional online profile and were reluctant to rely on third-party solutions such as LinkedIn or other profile sharing platforms.
Infonomic’s Approach
At the core of this was a new digital library: a well-organized and indexed repository for their extensive body of work. This platform allows both visitors and FORRU staff to easily search, find, and download publications. Instead of manually scanning and emailing, staff can now simply send a direct link in response to requests.
A 'Projects' area allows FORRU staff to publishing timely project information, including activities, outputs and formal project progress reports.
We also built a comprehensive staff biography section. Each team member now has a dedicated, professional bio page in both Thai and English, which also features links to their top publications.
The result was a "human-centered" solution that transformed their knowledge into an asset that better communicates FORRU's mission to a global audience and inspires action.
A Partnership for Growth
Working with FORRU-CMU was a rewarding experience. By trusting Infonomic to guide their digital transformation, they ensured their work reaches a wider audience, and the impact has been immediate and measurable.
The new repository has led to greater dissemination of their valuable work to the public. Internally, FORRU staff can now better find and refer to their own work for further research, workshops, and trainings. The team reports substantial time savings in responding to material requests. Furthermore, because the repository's search features are URL-based, staff can reply with links not only to the requested item but also to related materials. This added value is received very positively, enhancing FORRU's reputation as a service-oriented research unit.
Featured 'Projects' and project reports, including actionable results and recommendations are made publicly available promptly, thus supporting the unit's commitment to transparency and presenting a reliable track record of achievements to donor agencies.
The new bio pages also save staff significant time, providing an easily referenced, professional profile for conference applications and other collaborations.
Today, their well-organized online platform clearly reflects the scope and significance of their contributions, enhancing their visibility, credibility, and authority, and helping FORRU better connect with their audiences to amplify their mission.
Innovative Design— Dr Stephen Elliott, Co-Director of Chiang Mai University's Forest Restoration Research UnitAs a scientific research unit, FORRU-CMU’s mission is to generate and disseminate knowledge to support tropical forest restoration. Infonomic has helped us achieve this by designing an attractive, user-friendly website, with advanced functionality, which effectively communicates with a diverse range of stakeholders. Their innovative design includes a sophisticated search capability, enabling users to quickly find relevant information, even within documents. The training provided to our staff, in content production and management, was outstanding. Altogether, Infonomic's services are exceptional - the resulting website speaks for itself.
Looking forward, we are excited about building on the foundation we’ve established. With a fully indexed collection in place, we aim to explore advanced tools like retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) AI agents. These tools have the potential to further expand access to FORRU-CMU’s collection, enabling tailored responses to a variety of user needs — from answering K-12 student questions like "Why is biodiversity important to forest restoration?" to supporting researchers with analyses of tree species selection for specific landscapes. These technologies have the potential to further enhance accessibility and impact — inspiring and educating a broader audience while continuing to advance the science of forest restoration.