The European umbrella organization for manufacturers of woodworking machinery and tools, Eumabois, held its annual General Assembly on November 5, 2021. After the 2020 General Assembly was held as the first “purely digital General Assembly” of Eumabois, the delegates and board members were even more looking forward to the face-to-face exchange in Vienna, where they were welcomed by the Austrian association FMTI.

The opening topic was the general outlook for the woodworking industry, which is experiencing a rapid and very positive upturn. The figures continue to point to sustainable growth despite the fact that the wood processing industry is also suffering from high material costs and a shortage of raw materials. Global demand remains high, demonstrating the good recovery of this economic sector in response to the crisis triggered by the Corona virus. Megatrends such as digitalization and industrial automation, as well as a growing demand for furniture and kitchens, reinforced by travel restrictions and the cocooning effect, are also providing tailwinds for the woodworking industry.

Looking at the Eumabois exhibition network in 2021, unfortunately most of the shows had to be cancelled. For 2022, however, a full exhibition calendar with two top trade fair events is possible again: the “Holz-Handwerk” in Nuremberg in March and the “Xylexpo” in Milan with a new date in October. The positive signals from the trade fair industry are an important step towards normality, which underlines the value and importance of face-to-face events.

The meeting in Vienna was also used to officially launch the revamped Eumabois website with completely new features and modern graphics. There was also important news on the part of technical projects: OPC-UA (Open Platform Communication Unified Architecture) was given the marketing name “IZY”, which together with the Companion Specification V1.0 was officially presented to the market during the “Ligna.Innovation Network” on September 27, 2021.

In conclusion, Jürgen Köppel expressed his sincere thanks to the host association FMTI and all national associations present. The president emphasized, “I am firmly convinced that one of the most important pillars for the growth of our industry is our common European approach.”

The next Eumabois General Assembly will be held in Krakow, Poland, on September 22-23, 2022.