The global woodworking and wood processing sector, which will assemble at LIGNA 2025 in Hanover from May 26 to 30, depends heavily on the availability of wood as a raw material. In keeping with this, the world’s premier trade show’s forestry section will highlight every facet of efficient timber harvesting techniques. LIGNA 2025 showcases innovations in wood technology and forest conservation for sustainable future development.
People are the main concern
“The various types of forest damage in recent years have left large areas that now need to be replanted,” says Stephanie Wagner, Head of LIGNA at Deutsche Messe. “At LIGNA, exhibitors will showcase how to develop forest stands that are better adapted to local conditions and the changing climate, and how to secure the future supply of renewable, climate-friendly wood for the industry, with sustainably operating forest managers increasingly using wood as a resource-efficient raw material. People are at the heart of all these efforts. This includes ensuring optimal and, above all, safe working conditions, as well as honoring the special relationship people have shared with forests for centuries,” Wagner adds.
Pavilions 33 and 35: LIGNA’s main contact center
Pavilions 33 and 35 are the heart of LIGNA 2025, hosting key players and exhibitors like the Forestry Training Center, DFUV, and PEFC. Wald und Holz NRW leads Pavilion 35 with diverse topics and participants, such as TechTinyHouse and universities.
Technology use is both required and prudent
This year, Pavilion 33 focuses on aligning people’s needs with nature, according to Dr. Maurice Strunk, Federal Managing Director of DFUV and AfL Niedersachsen e.V. “Our forests will inevitably change in the face of climate change. Through active forest management, we can positively support these processes and create real added value for society. At the same time, it is crucial to make forest work safer, as dozens of people still lose their lives every year. The use of technology is both necessary and sensible – helping to minimise risks on one hand and enabling us to meet the enormous challenge of reforesting large areas on the other,” Strunk highlights.
Protecting forestry workers involves remote-controlled wedges and cooling clothes
Visitors in Pavilion 33 at LIGNA 2025 will discover new methods like remote-controlled wedges for safely felling beech and other deciduous trees, ensuring better protection for forestry workers with advanced techniques. “This is because the greatest risk in forestry work comes from branches breaking off while the tree is falling,” explains Strunk. He adds: ”The SVLFG will raise awareness of the issue and offer solutions to increase skin protection. Cooling clothing is also an option to make working in open spaces in the forest more bearable. So far, such innovative clothing is hardly widespread in forestry.”
Existing techniques for establishing stands
The NFBz Münchehof guides stand for establishment, tree care, and battery technology for forestry. Planting new tree stands in open forest land involves clearing competing plants and selectively removing trees to maintain a diverse and healthy tree mixture. Battery-powered tools are replacing petrol-driven machines, bringing new methods such as using drills for planting; however, setting up infrastructure for lithium-ion batteries faces challenges due to safety risks, emphasising the need for safety in new processes.
New timber construction systems and wood applications
Pavilion 35 will feature new timber systems and applications, including birch structures for mobile living, hardwood for multi-storey buildings, and wood in tool tech, displayed through mock-ups and machines. Emphasising resource-efficient timber products, a practical demo by the NRW pavilion showcases uses of new tree species like birch and fir.
Pavilion 35’s special performance, “Follow the Timber”
The KWF and partners showcase tracking tech for timber in Pavilion 35, highlighting the importance of tracing raw material processes. He adds: “In forestry, traceability serves to verify the legal origin of raw wood from sustainable and climate-positive forestry practices, while also optimising processes from a business management perspective. Technically, this involves tracing the path of the raw wood from the standing tree to the factory entrance.”
Discussions on present concerns at the NRW stage
The NRW Stage in Pavilion 35 facilitates discussions on forestry and wood topics with EU decision-makers and industry reps on sustainability. Presentations cover circular strategies in wood and mechanical engineering, the EFI Bioregions Forum showcasing start-ups, Forest Owners’ Day, and proposed industry transformation in NRW.
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