Fans of LIGNA, the world’s biggest trade show for the woodworking and timber processing industry, need not wait till May 2021 when LIGNA next opens its gates. This fall, they can attend a LIGNA offshoot event, the LIGNA.Conference, which will be held on 6 and 7 October in Rosenheim, Germany. The event is run by Deutsche Messe, which is also the organizer of LIGNA.

It is the latest edition of Deutsche Messe’s successful LIGNA.Conference series, which is timed for the even, “LIGNA-free” years to provide an interim update on the latest developments, trends and themes shaping the sector. In 2016, the conference was held in Hannover, Germany, and in 2018, it was held in Guangzhou, China.

This year’s event will be staged with the support of Rosenheim University of Applied Sciences (TH Rosenheim), and for good reason: The university is highly regarded worldwide, thanks to its state-of-the-art facilities, first-rate graduates and its faculty of wood technology and construction in particular. There, in 22 supremely well-equipped laboratories, the next generation of wood-industry engineers is being trained in degree programs, such as “Wood Technology”, "Wood Building and Construction” and “Interior Engineering”. TH Rosenheim also offers a range of post-graduate degrees for industry practitioners.

In December last year, Dr. Heinrich Köster, President of TH Rosenheim, and Christian Pfeiffer, Deutsche Messe’s Global Director LIGNA & Woodworking Shows, formalized the partnership for this year’s LIGNA.Conference. “The first-ever LIGNA.Conference in Rosenheim will be another key highlight in our ‘Woodworking Shows Worldwide’ family of events, which puts the spotlight on emerging trends in the woodworking and timber processing industries,” explained Pfeiffer. “Our decision to stage the event at TH Rosenheim was quite deliberate because it is an internationally recognized and respected center of research and development.”

“We are delighted to host the LIGNA.Conference at our university,” added Dr. Köster. “It would be hard to think of a more appropriate venue. Since its foundation in 1925, TH Rosenheim has built a global reputation as a source of first-rate wood technology graduates. Right here in our laboratories, LIGNA.Conference participants will be able see first-hand how innovations are developed.”

This year’s LIGNA.Conference will preview the focus topics of LIGNA 2021 that will be covered in-depth at the next LIGNA in May: Woodworking Transformation, Prefab Building Processes and Green Material Processing.

Speakers will illustrate how the current Woodworking Transformation is centered around automation and integration. The approach here is one of end-to-end digitization – with concepts spanning everything from planning and design through to production and monitoring. They will also discuss the next generation of machinery for processing solid and engineered wood, which is based on digital systems solutions, and how industrial production plant providers are increasingly opting for robotics systems for materials handling, human-machine interaction and surfacing functions.

Lectures dealing with Prefab Building Processes will explore the myriad new ways timber is used in multi-level buildings and the latest processes used for planning, prefabrication and on-site assembly. They will also highlight the trend towards modularization and standardization in the timber construction industry. Another key focus area will be the use of timber in existing building structures.

Green Material Processing experts will discuss the process technologies enabling the transition from a fossil fuel and mineral resources-based economy to a renewable resources-based economy. As one of the world’s most important renewable resources, wood has central role to play in this development.

The Rosenheim LIGNA.Conference is targeted primarily at professionals from the skilled trades and the woodworking, timber construction and furniture industries. It will start at midday on Tuesday, 6 October, and end in the early afternoon on Wednesday, 7 October. The organizers are also planning to hold an evening event on the Tuesday. All lectures will be simultaneously translated into German and English. For further information, please click the link below: