Exhibitors and organisers of Ligna 2025 are entering the final stretch of preparations with 1,337 exhibitors registered for the 50th anniversary edition of the world’s leading trade fair for the woodworking and wood processing industry.

The number of exhibitors at this year’s Ligna has surpassed the previous event (1,288 exhibitors in 2023), held one every 2 years in Hannover, Germany.

Traditionally, two-thirds of the exhibiting companies come from abroad, while one-third are based in Germany. In terms of exhibition space, 112,772 square metres are currently booked – an unexpectedly strong result given the current economic climate.

Stephanie Wagner, Head of Ligna at Deutsche Messe, says: “The 50th anniversary certainly makes this edition special, but the exceptionally high level of exhibitor interest is truly overwhelming.”

Together with the VDMA (German woodworking machinery association), she is confident that the product innovations and the strong motivation of all exhibitors will help drive the industry’s turnaround and positively influence visitors to invest.

Ligna.Circular

‘Thinking in circles’ is the motto of the new format, Ligna.Circular. It will be integrated into the programme of the Ligna.Stage in Hall 12 and realised in collaboration with Cademi, the Ligna.Circular partner.

A total of six themed islands, located around the stage and occupied by several partners, will highlight different aspects of circular value creation across various industries throughout the trade show week.

The focus will be on sustainable innovations in processes, materials, and products. Necessary adjustments for future cooperation within the industry and the transformation of business models will be discussed under the key themes of ‘Cooperation’, ‘Innovation’, ‘Servitisation’ and ‘Transformation’.

Individual best-case studies on innovations in machines and processes will be presented under the roof of the VDMA on the topic of ‘Machines’ – including examples from Dieffenbacher.

The Fraunhofer Institute for Wood Research (WKI) and the Association of the German Wood-Based Panel Industry (VHI) are focusing on ‘Circularity in wood-based materials’.

The Timber Construction Research Center, supported by the Institute for Building Construction and Timber Construction at TU Braunschweig, will showcase various project presentations. The Association of the German Furniture Industry (VDM) will also present current approaches.

Action stations!

With Ligna.TruckStop, the new format for skilled trades in the southern outdoor area (near Hall 12 and the expo roof), visitors can experience something truly unique. Five companies from the skilled trades sector will showcase their products – ranging from power tools to fittings and fastening technologies – directly from show trucks, engaging with the audience on-site.

Participating exhibitors include well-known names such as Festool, Hettich, Makita, SawStop and Swiss Krono. While Hettich will highlight its “customer centricity”, SawStop will showcase its safety technology directly to skilled tradespeople.

Swiss Krono will present practical solutions that align with the focus on ‘engineered wood’. Further information on Ligna is available at www.ligna.de

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