Over 105,000 square meters of exhibition space and more than 1,100 exhibitors: LIGNA 2023 (May 15-19, 2023) celebrates the return to presence with a comprehensive overview of the woodworking and processing industry. Despite the tense global political situation, the positive booking status confirms the status of LIGNA as the world's leading trade fair. Global players and well-known companies come together from all over the world to present tools, machines and systems as well as smart solutions and new technologies. In addition to companies from Germany, companies from Italy, Austria, Turkey, Spain, China, Sweden, Slovenia, Denmark and the Netherlands account for the largest proportion of exhibitors in terms of area. The world's leading trade fair was even able to expand its exhibitor portfolio:
"LIGNA offers a unique overview of the entire value-added chain of the woodworking and processing industry. It is THE international showcase for innovations and THE stage for world firsts. A great wave of euphoria has reached us from the community right from the start of planning. The industry is delighted on the personal experience in Hanover," stressed Dr. Jochen Köckler, CEO of Deutsche Messe AG, emphasized the importance of the event as part of the LIGNA.Preview media preview on February 16 in Hanover. "At LIGNA 2023, visitors will meet exhibitors from 44 countries. Trends that shape the industry and point the way to the future are set and discussed here."
LIGNA focus topics move the industry
LIGNA 2023 also lives up to its role as a trendsetter in the choice of focus topics. The topic of digitization determines the development of the industry and is a prerequisite for resource-efficient and flexible production. Under the title "Transformation of Woodworking" it also attracts a lot of attention at LIGNA. Exhibitors show how far the networking of machines, tools, components and materials has already gone and present innovations in the fields of robotics, automation and software. The buzzwords Smart or Connected Factory, Industry 4.0 or Internet of Things and IoT platforms will continue to be tangible at LIGNA with concrete examples.
On the way to an economy based on renewable resources, wood forms a central basis as the most important renewable raw material. The wood-based bioeconomy is considered an innovative technology driver. The framework conditions for expanding the resource-efficient use of wood are part of the European Green Deal and a pillar of a circular bioeconomy . A development that is rightly the focus of LIGNA 2023. Development lines of the wood-based bioeconomy and technological innovations for the responsible use of natural resources as well as process technologies for the shaping of chemically pulped wood fibers will be shown.
Wood is also becoming increasingly important as a recyclable building material in the construction industry. The share of all-wooden buildings and mixed-wood constructions in the total construction volume is growing both nationally and globally. LIGNA reflects this industry trend in the focus topic "Prefabrication processes in timber construction" : because the increasing importance of timber construction also results in new requirements for technology and systems. Bernd Oswald (GROPYUS) and Professor Achim Menges (University of Stuttgart) therefore spoke on this topic at the LIGNA.Preview. Conclusion: The construction industry needs a technological boost in order to produce in a modern and efficient way - in prefabrication as well as on the construction site. At LIGNA, interested parties can discover suitable solutions and approaches that will determine the future of timber construction.
