Innovation will be a core theme of the Carrefour International du Bois (CIB) this year as never before.
The show in Nantes, France, has increasingly established its reputation as a platform for new products to make their market debut; from lesser-known tropical species and new cladding finishes, to thermally and chemically modified timbers, engineered wood products and construction systems. No doubt that has a lot to do with the fact that the CIB has year by year become ever more an international timber sector forum.
Around 37% of the 560 exhibitors at this year’s show, to be held from May 30 to June 1, are from outside France and the proportion of visitors from abroad is expected to at least match the 28% of the last show in 2016.
But while the show has already built a global reputation as a forward-looking event, the focus on the new in 2018 will be stronger than ever.
For a start, the CIB organisers have teamed up with France’s leading timber trade online and print publication, Le Bois International, to sponsor an innovation awards event. At the time of going to press entries already represented the full spectrum of the wood industry and they were still coming in, with the deadline for submissions not until April 23.
“The goal is to highlight that the timber industry in France, and internationally, is focused on the future and on making ever more diverse and effective technical, economic and environmental use of the timber resource,” said the show’s commercial and international executive Samantha Padden.
The awards, she explained, have two categories. Innovation Materials recognises the latest in timber product and processing developments, innovative design and ecological concepts. Innovation Support Systems covers breakthroughs and achievement in communication, marketing, application of information technology and contribution to social and environmental development goals.
“The awards are also designed to underline the dynamism of the modern timber industry, its focus on continual product improvement and value addition and to demonstrate that innovation is an integral element of its day-to-day business,” said Ms Padden.
The Innovation Awards take place against the backdrop of a special new area in Hall 1 of the CIB’s Parc Beaujoire venue, which is dedicated to new technologies in business development. Hosted by research and innovation specialists BoisHD and Solfi2A, this will include explorations of the applicability to the timber industry of 3D printing, virtual reality and computer simulation technologies. It will also be the venue for a round table event on the current and future impact of the digital revolution in construction and building products sectors.
Wood Building Aims High
CIB will also be looking to the future of wood in construction through the lens of France’s AdivBois initiative. This aims to drive development of timber building across the country, and particularly application of engineered wood in medium to high-rise projects.
AdivBois grew out of a French government strategy to identify industries that were central to the country’s hi-tech, low ecological impact economic future. It decided that the forestry and timber-using industries were among them, because of their potential both for technical innovation and capacity to help meet government sustainable development, carbon and wider environmental goals.
Backed by central and local government, AdivBois is supporting construction of inspirational exemplar timber-based buildings in every French region and, as part of this, held a design competition, Immeuble à vivre (buildings for life).
Entries to the contest will be on display at the entrance to the Techniques & Solutions section of the CIB in Hall 4, which focuses on timber-based building products and systems. In addition, AdivBois will have an 18m2 stand in the hall giving more information on its achievements and ambitions.
It is also hosting a presentation in the extensive CIB conference programme on medium- to high-rise building in wood. One of the speakers will be Andrew Waugh of Waugh Thistleton Architects, designers of the world’s then tallest residential building, the Murray Grove Tower in London. He will also be among those addressing another conference topic, “Exceptional Wood Architecture”.
On May 31, the EU FLEGT Independent Market Monitor is also running a trade consultation event at the show to update timber industry stakeholders on latest developments in the EU FLEGT Voluntary Partnership Agreement initiative and FLEGT licensing. Besides presentations, it will comprise Q&A and discussion sessions, addressing such topics as the sustainability credentials and marketing potential of FLEGT licensing.
The CIB is additionally hosting the launch of a new publication aimed at raising awareness of the capabilities of France’s timber industries.
Produced by French national timber federation FNB and forest and timber sector organisation FBF, the Catalogue of French Timber Products is designed to highlight the huge range of timber and wood products on offer in France.
“The thinking behind it is that the scale and sheer diversity of the French timber sector are not widely enough known or appreciated; the catalogue aims to set the record straight,” said Ms Padden. “For instance, there’s an assumption that if you’re looking for the latest in engineered wood you’d go to Nordic or central European suppliers, whereas France has a major engineered wood product manufacturing and construction industry, at the cutting edge of latest technologies.”
The show itself is expected to be busier than ever this year, with higher early visitor registration levels indicating that total attendance could top the 10,250 total of the 2016 event.
Giving the organisers even more cause for optimism, the French economy continues to thrive. According to the European Commission Directorate General for Economic and Financial Affairs, French GDP grew 0.6% in the last quarter of 2017, marking the fifth consecutive quarter of 0.5% expansion or higher, and is set for 2% growth in 2018.
Unemployment, which remained stubbornly high after the international downturn, is also expected to continue 2017’s downward trend.
Construction Outlook
Critically for the timber sector, the construction industry is also performing well. After eight years of recession, it grew 1.6% in 2016, then expanded by a vigorous 4.7% in 2017. With certain government support measures coming to an end this year, growth is expected to slow, but only to 2.4%. The timber-based construction sector is also taking an increasingly positive outlook.
According to market research by wood construction development body Codifab, 29% of companies in the sector were planning capital investment from 2017 through 2018, while 40% were recruiting.
“The sector has increased its market share in extensions, roof elevations, individual and collective housing and, with added impetus now coming from AdivBois, is also increasingly making its mark in high-rise buildings,” said Ms Padden.
The CIB has also stepped up international marketing once more to boost attendance from abroad; the 2016 show drew visitors from a total of 70 countries. A particular focus this year has been put on Holland, Spain, Portugal, Italy and Morocco. There will be dedicated stands representing the industries of Wallonia (Belgium), the Basque region of Spain, Portugal, Quebec and Estonia, and trade delegations from Spain and Belgium will also attend under the banners of their trade federations AEIM and Fedustria.
“We have also continued to focus on our UK and Irish audience, who in 2016 made up our fifth biggest foreign visitor contingent,” said Ms Padden.
Reflecting the international composition of both exhibitors and visitors, the CIB conference will tackle some key global trade topics and issues. Besides latest developments in timber-based construction, these will include renewing the forest resource, wood energy, international sawn timber markets and innovation in the wood industry.
“The show generally is also a forum for discussion and analysis of latest market trends and undoubtedly a hot topic of conversation this year will be timber supply which, judging by feedback from exhibitors and visitors, is an issue worldwide,” said Ms Padden.
Exclusively Timber
The CIB remains, as ever, an exclusively timber and wood products show, a formula it believes is key to its international appeal. At the same time, it says, each show is an evolution on the last. This year’s event will occupy 6% more space, the Techniques & Solutions timber construction products section has grown once more, and exhibitors are again promising plenty of product launches and developments to grab visitors’ attention.
In 2016, while it didn’t stop it from increasing numbers of both, the show’s exhibitors and visitors had to battle the dual obstacles of transport strikes and torrential rain and floods across France to get there. This year there is more industrial unrest in the rail sector, but the SNCF national railway company has this time produced a calendar of when strikes are planned. It shows that the CIB dates, from May 30 to June 1, will be unaffected – another welcome innovation.
