Ligna 2025 exhibitors rely on trade fair as an economic driver

From May 26 to 30, 2025, Ligna will be one of the most important milestones for the woodworking and wood processing industry on the way to the hoped-for industry turnaround. More than 1,200 exhibitors from all over the world are relying on the industry trade fair.

In Ligna's 50th anniversary year, more than 1,200 exhibitors from all over the world are occupying around 112,000 square meters of exhibition space three months before the start of the trade fair, sending a strong signal in a challenging industry situation, which was also made clear at the preview, Ligna.Preview. "Ligna is currently almost at the same level as the previous event," says Dr. Jochen Köckler, Chairman of the Board of Management, Deutsche Messe AG. "In view of the economic conditions, we are very grateful to everyone involved for their confidence in Ligna. We are convinced that the world's leading trade fair for the industry will ensure greater productivity and sustainability through fantastic innovations and thus provide the much-needed motivation and confidence for investments."

"Hardly any exhibitor skips Ligna - and for good reason: especially in challenging times, direct exchange with customers is crucial in order to provide new investment impetus with innovative solutions. Ligna is the platform where pioneering technologies are presented to an international trade audience. And not only manufacturers, but also customers cannot afford to miss this opportunity - because the course for the future of the industry is set here in Hanover," says Dr. Bernhard Dirr, Managing Director of the VDMA Woodworking Machinery Association, Frankfurt am Main.

Stephanie Wagner, Ligna Project Manager at Deutsche Messe AG, sees the great response from companies to Ligna as a great vote of confidence: "We are looking forward to a strong Ligna anniversary edition, and we are convinced that the trade fair, together with the exhibitors and visitors, has the potential to give new confidence and trust to the market. It wouldn't be the first time that Ligna has been the decisive driving force, so that the economic engine can then start up again."

The importance of Ligna as the world's leading trade fair remains high and a constructive dialogue within the framework of Ligna 2025 is more important than ever in these times, as Samiron Mondal, CEO Siempelkamp Business Unit Capital, emphasizes: "Ligna is the ideal forum for us to meet global customers, present our innovations and fill the Ligna trade fair motto, 'Linking people, driving innovation', with life. What's more, we also benefit from the exchange at the trade fair." Like Samiron Mondal from Siempelkamp, a company that has been a Ligna exhibitor from the very beginning, Rudolf Eickhoff, Technical Managing Director of Venjakob, also emphasizes the importance of Ligna 2025: "We are currently seeing intense competition in the industry, with sales falling in some cases. This makes it all the more important to discuss the latest sustainable production methods in order to ensure that our customers can manufacture their products competitively in the long term. We are convinced that direct contact at the trade fair not only creates trust, but also forms the basis for successful projects."

Industry experts and market observers believe that the woodworking and wood processing industry, which has come under pressure in recent months, particularly in Europe, could recover in the second half of the year. The currently still difficult economic conditions are causing widespread uncertainty and therefore a lack of confidence among companies. Unclear political developments and their impact on the economy are also contributing to the fact that necessary investment decisions have been held back so far.

Köckler: "We are in politically tense times with regard to tariffs and exchange rates. Many of us have never experienced this before. The German parliamentary elections and the implementation of the US presidency will provide clarity. Regardless of the general conditions, the woodworking and wood processing industry is urgently needed. Wood as a raw material is the epitome of CO2 storage and sustainability."

The three focus topics of Ligna 2025 Connectivity, Sustainable Production and Engineered Wood specifically address the players in the woodworking community from industry, trade and forestry. "Digital connectivity for a sustainable wood industry along the entire value chain with wood and wood-based materials as the materials of the future - that summarizes in one sentence what industry, trade and forestry want to stand for together in the future," says Stephanie Wagner. "With networking, sustainability and future materials, the focus topics place the three central elements of this challenge in the foreground and make them visible in many places in all seven exhibition areas," explains Stephanie Wagner.

With Ligna.Circular in Hall 12 and Ligna.TruckStop on the open-air site, two new formats will celebrate their premiere at the anniversary edition of Ligna in May. "Thinking in circles" is the motto of the new Ligna.Circular format, which will be integrated into the Ligna.Stage program. Specifically, it will focus on various aspects of circular value creation. In presentations and panel discussions, Cademi, the Ligna.Circular partner, will highlight sustainable innovations in processes, materials and products. The necessary adjustments in the future cooperation of all stakeholders and the transformation of business models will be discussed around the keywords cooperation, innovation, servitization and transformation. The Ligna.Circular program will be accompanied by concrete approaches and best case studies, for example on machines and processes, raw materials and materials, product design and recycling. The Ligna.TruckStop is the perfect place to go for joiners, carpenters and joiners who want to experience the latest in power tools, fittings and fastening technologies.

The central forum at Ligna 2025 will once again be the Ligna.Stage in Hall 12 with solution- and user-oriented presentations along the Ligna focus topics as well as important market and trend developments, while the Ligna.Campus in Hall 11 will give technical colleges, universities of applied sciences and universities the opportunity to present their educational programs. VDMA members, who are represented at Ligna for the first time, and start-ups will present their clever solutions from various product and service areas at the Ligna.FutureSquare, which is positioned as a triad with the Stage and Circular in Hall 12. And for anyone looking for something permanent, Ligna.Recruiting is the place to go. This format enables direct contact with the industry's leading companies to find out more about the wide range of career opportunities and broaden professional perspectives.

For many years, the Ligna supporting program has also been enriched by the traditional Carpenters' Day on the Tuesday of the trade fair. At Ligna 2025, the guild organization Tischler Schreiner Deutschland (TSD) will also provide information about the latest services and products offered by its professional associations. The established national design competition Die Gute Form 2025 and the workshop ergonomics innovation project will also be taking part. Last but not least, first-class awards will be presented and championships held at Ligna: the Forwarder Championships, Die Gute Form, the Hans-Jürgen Narjes Prize and the German Timber Construction Prize. The latter was even attended by the German Federal Ministry of Housing, Urban Development and Construction. The prizewinner will be awarded on Ligna Tuesday at 10 a.m. in Hall 12 on the Ligna.Stage (OM-3/25).

• Back to the Ligna 2025 special