World’s leading trade fair of superlatives

“Ligna” 2023, the world’s leading trade fair for woodworking and wood processing, featured five days of innovation, inspiration and networking. From May 15 to 19, 2023, 1,300 companies from 50 countries presented their solutions for the wood and furniture industry, wood crafts and the primary sector. The focus was on the megatrends of sustainability and digitization. The response from Germany and all over the world was correspondingly large. 80,000 visitors from 160 countries came to find out about smart machines and resource-saving production processes.

The anticipation for the fair was great. Exhibitors and visitors alike were thrilled to finally meet again in person after a four-year break and to experience the concentrated innovative power of the industry up close. “The ‘Ligna’ 2023 has exceeded the high expectations of the exhibiting companies and the visitors:inside and has shown that the machines, plants and solutions presented at the fair pave the way to a sustainable and digitalized wood, furniture and construction industry,” said Dr. Jochen Köckler, Chairman of the Board of Management of Deutsche Messe AG. “An impressive 60 percent of the visitors came from abroad. This means that ‘Ligna’ has further strengthened its position as the world’s leading global trade fair.”

“The ,Ligna’ 2023 was not only a platform for presenting new technologies, but also a place for knowledge transfer and networking,” said Dr. Bernhard Dirr, Managing Director VDMA Woodworking Machinery. “The trade fair has shown that the woodworking and wood processing industry offers its customers the necessary technologies for competitive and at the same time sustainable production. In view of the uncertain framework conditions that the woodworking and processing industry is currently facing, the success of ‘Ligna’ 2023 speaks for its status as a driving force. It is not only an engine for the industry in good times, but above all provides solutions for the challenging moments.”

Smart, networked machines, systems and processes that make costs and production more efficient were therefore particularly high on the community’s agenda. There was also strong demand for automation and process-optimizing solutions to cushion the impact of the shortage of skilled workers.

“The transformation of the industry could be experienced live in the exhibition halls,” Köckler continued. The entire range of the value chain was on display, from woodworking machines and systems to tools and work processes, industrial robots and even exoskeletons to support the experts from the trades and forestry. The machines on display are often no longer exclusively suitable for processing wood, but also for glass, plastics or composite materials. Köckler: “Furniture and construction elements, for example, are made of a wide variety of materials. So it’s only logical that the exhibitors at ‘Ligna’ expand their product portfolio accordingly and offer their customers a wide range of options.”

A key theme of the show was the importance of wood as a renewable resource and its role in decarbonization. As a result, timber construction is becoming increasingly important and opening up new market opportunities for mechanical engineering.

The exhibitors at “Ligna” 2023 presented solutions that significantly optimize all process steps in timber construction. In this way, costs can be saved and the use of the precious raw material can also be designed to be as resource-friendly as possible. The flooring sector and the furniture industry are also increasingly turning to wood as their preferred raw material, as sustainability is becoming more and more important to end consumers. For example, innovative adhesives based on renewable raw materials also help to reduce CO2 emissions.

The “Ligna” 2023 offered visitors a diverse supporting program with conferences, live presentations, special shows and award ceremonies. At the “Ligna.Stage” in Hall 12, around 90 speakers presented current market developments and trend topics. The shortage of skilled workers and recruiting were also addressed in a separate area, which promoted exchanges between skilled workers and potential employers.

Köckler: “The ‘Ligna’ 2023 has once again shown that it is an indispensable platform for the wood processing industry. The trade fair has not only promoted the exchange of knowledge and experience, but also set the course for future-proof and sustainable woodworking and processing.”

The next “Ligna” will take place from May 26 to 30, 2025.