Special times require special measures: Eumabois, the European association of manufacturers of woodworking machines and tools, held its annual general assembly on 18 September 2020. Due to the Corona virus, the decision was made to unite all delegates and the Board of Directors on a digital platform to ensure the protection of all participants. The twenty-one representatives, together with the Eumabois President Jürgen Köppel and the Eumabois Vice President Luigi De Vito, used the 2020 General Assembly to discuss the challenges and opportunities that Europe and the world have faced and are facing as a result of the Corona pandemic in recent months.

Given the serious and profound impact of the Corona Pandemic on many industrial sectors, in particular on the exhibition industry, the participants discussed measures to be taken and different alternatives and their implementation. They agreed that the corona virus accelerates the digital transformation, which can already be seen at some trade fairs that are planning hybrid solutions as a combination of digital events and face-to-face events. However, Jürgen Köppel explained that “no digital solution can really replace the experience of a live demonstration, where visitors have the opportunity to see technology and compare the latest technologies”.

Looking at Eumabois’ global trade show network, many trade shows in 2020 were cancelled or postponed to 2021, which was certainly the right move at the time. Other fairs developed safety and hygiene plans to protect participants, exhibitors and everyone involved in the exhibition, in order to avoid a complete cancellation. “A great challenge, but an important step back to normality”, as Luigi De Vito stressed during the General Assembly.

In addition to the topic of Corona, which to a certain extent overshadowed the General Assembly due to its considerable impact on all sectors and economies, the various projects from the Eumabois technical and marketing sectors were explained. Jürgen Köppel emphasized the importance of a common European approach, because the competence and know-how of all member associations and their more than 850 member companies are the strength needed to set trends in the wood and wood-based panel industry on a European and global level.

In addition, the status of two very important technical projects was presented and further steps were discussed. Both projects, OPC UA (Open Platform Communication Unified Architecture) and ETML (European Tool Machine Language), provide answers to the questions related to digitization on a European level. The participants were very satisfied with the progress of both projects and it was agreed to intensify the efforts to develop common European solutions in the digitization of the woodworking industry. Luigi De Vito also took the opportunity to present the results of the Market Intelligence Project (MIP), recently completed by Eumabois.

Finally, Jürgen Köppel warmly thanked all associations, member companies and stakeholders who continuously drive the success of Eumabois by contributing their know-how and commitment to the common European idea in the wood industry. He closed the meeting with the statement: “I am confident that the current challenging times also offer opportunities that can be the basis for new approaches and ideas in our industry.

Even though the first digital Eumabois General Assembly was concluded smoothly and on time, all delegates are looking forward to meeting again in person at the next General Assembly, which will take place in Vienna on June 25, 2021.