In October 2025, Mariola Sánchez González, a researcher at the Forest Sciences Institute (ICIFOR-CSIC) based in Madrid, was interviewed at the Centro de Competências do Sobreiro e da Cortiça in Lisbon as part of an international collaboration on cork oak management and valorisation. Although the interview took place then, it was published on 15 April 2026 on the Montado Hoje podcast on Spotify. We only recently learned of its release, but we didn’t want to miss the chance to share it here, as its content is directly linked to the work we develop through ACICORK.
In the conversation, Mariola introduces us to CorkClass, a free mobile application developed at the ICIFOR cork laboratory that enables cork plank classification directly in the field — no specialised equipment needed, no samples sent to a lab.
What is CorkClass and what is it for?
CorkClass was created to address a real need in the sector: having a simple, fast and accessible tool to assess cork quality at the moment of harvest or at the point of sale, supporting commercial decision-making and contributing to greater transparency throughout the value chain.
The app works through the smartphone camera: the user photographs a cork plank and the system — based on image analysis and artificial intelligence — automatically provides a quality classification according to the parameters established by industry standards.
Its main advantages include:
- Free and available for Android — no cost to the user.
- Field use — no lab connection or specific equipment required.
- Objective and reproducible — reduces the subjectivity inherent in traditional visual classification.
- Useful across the entire supply chain — from forest owners to industrial buyers.
Listen to the full interview
The interview is available on Spotify through the Montado Hoje podcast, a space dedicated to news and topics related to the montado and the cork sector across the Iberian Peninsula. The episode runs approximately 4 minutes and is entirely in Portuguese.
Download CorkClass
The app is available for free on Google Play:
