According to event organiser Deutche Messe, the forestry and timber industry professionals around the world are counting down the days until Ligna opens its gates on 6th May.

“The world’s leading suppliers of plant, machinery and equipment for the forest and timber industries regard Ligna as the ultimate benchmark event – the fair where new products are launched and new trends are set,” said Dr. Jochen Köckler, member of Deutsche Messe’s managing board. “That’s precisely what makes Ligna so attractive for trade visitors.

“Every two years, in Hannover, Germany, they can expect to find an innovations showcase that is without parallel anywhere in the world,”

Jochen also hightlights the strong level of international participation at Ligna as a factor that sets the fair apart from rival shows. It enables professionals from all parts of the forest and timber industries to get a complete overview of the latest technology in their specific sector.

Around 1700 exhibitors, more than half of whom come from outside Germany, will be presenting their innovations in Hannover this May. Around 50 countries will be represented at Ligna this year.

The Top 10 countries among the participating nations, which have booked a total of around 130,000m² of exhibition space, are Germany, Italy, Austria, Spain, Switzerland, Sweden, Denmark, Turkey, Taiwan, China and the Netherlands.

Ligna’s broad range of display categories is another big plus for decision makers.

This year’s show, which has Making more out of Wood: Innovations, Solutions, Efficiency as its keynote theme, will be covering the entire wood value chain. It will feature the state of the art in technology for the primary industries – the forestry and timber industries – right alongside the latest products, machines and automation technologies for the furniture sector, the solid woodworking industry and the woodworking trades.

Ligna 2013 will seek to put the spotlight on key global megatrends, such as sustainable, intelligent production; highly customisable manufacturing systems and flexibility-enhancing solutions for all levels of industrial operations.

Key innovation areas, such as surface technology, lightweight construction, wood-based bioenergy systems and window production technology, will be presented as standalone display categories and feature a range of exhibits.

Other hotly anticipated displays include the latest integrated control systems and multi-functional production technologies and the broad range of woodworking exhibits that comprise the “Handwerk, Holz & mehr” showcase.

“What makes the Ligna fair truly special is the sheer number and variety of innovations shown there,” explains Jochen. “This is not least because many market leaders have timed their innovation cycles to coincide with LIGNA in odd-numbered years and use the fair as a global launch pad for their latest technology.”