Ligna 2023 begins! The strike in Germany has turned our plans upside down

The train we were supposed to take to Hanover was cancelled. We found out on Friday about the strike affecting the German railway system from Sunday 14 May until midnight on Tuesday 16 May and within hours we had re-arranged our itinerary so as not to miss the event. We're in the area - we visited Interzum last week - so it wasn't too much of a hassle for us. But if you've just found out about the strike and are planning a visit to Ligna, I recommend see here all the options you have to get there. The organisers are constantly on the lookout for changes and keen to help anyone interested in getting there. Because yes, Ligna is starting!

Over 114,000 square metres of exhibition space in 2 halls, 10 halls, an outdoor area and over 1,300 exhibitors will be in Hanover. LIGNA 2023 takes place from 15-19 May 2023 and brings together renowned companies from 47 countries. They all come together to showcase machines and equipment, smart solutions and new technologies. In addition to companies from Germany, firms from Italy, Austria, Turkey, Spain, China, Sweden, Slovenia, Denmark and the Netherlands have the highest proportion of exhibitors per zone.

Solutions for the wood and furniture industry, primary and secondary wood processing will be presented. The focus is on the megatrends of sustainability, digitalisation, the topic of wood as a renewable raw material, as well as the focus topics of wood construction and bioeconomy.

"LIGNA provides a unique overview of the entire value chain of the wood processing industry. It is the international showcase for innovations and the stage for world premieres. We have received a wave of euphoria from the community since the planning began. The industry is looking forward to the face-to-face experience in Hannover", said Dr. Jochen Köckler, CEO Deutsche Messe AG, underlining the importance of the event, at the LIGNA.Preview on 16 February in Hannover. "At LIGNA 2023, visitors will meet exhibitors from 44 countries. This is where the trends shaping the industry and pointing the way to the future are set and discussed."

LIGNA 2023 will also fulfil its role as a trendsetter in choosing topics of interest. The theme of digitisation is shaping the development of the industry and is a prerequisite for production that is as resource-efficient as it is flexible. Under the title "Woodworking Transformation", it gets a lot of attention at LIGNA. Exhibitors will show how far the network of machines, tools, components and materials has already come 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 become tangible at LIGNA with concrete examples.

On the road to a renewable resource economy, wood, as the most important renewable raw material, forms a central base. The wood-based bioeconomy is seen as an innovative technological driver. The framework conditions for expanding the resource-efficient use of wood are part of the European Green Pact and the pillars of a circular bioeconomy. This is a topic that will rightly be in the spotlight at LIGNA 2023. The development lines of the wood-based bioeconomy and technological innovations for the responsible use of natural resources will be presented, as well as process technologies for shaping chemically digested wood fibres.

Wood is also steadily gaining importance as a recyclable building material in the construction industry. The share of timber buildings and mixed timber structures in total construction volume is continuously increasing globally. LIGNA reflects this trend in the industry in its central theme "Prefab Building Processes" as the growing importance of timber construction also results in new technology and equipment requirements. At LIGNA.Preview, Bernd Oswald (GROPYUS) and Professor Achim Menges (University of Stuttgart) spoke on this topic. The conclusion was that the construction industry needs a technological boost to produce in a contemporary and efficient way both in prefabrication and on site. At LIGNA, interested parties can discover appropriate solutions and approaches that will determine the future of timber construction.

We'll be there from Monday 15 May to Thursday 18 May to find out the latest industry news. We'll present the most interesting ones here or in video format on VideoRDL. So keep an eye on Wood Magazine for news in the field.

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