The world’s leading woodworking machinery manufacturers came to Ligna Plus 2003 hoping it would be a turning point for a market affected by global economic uncertainty and depressed capital investment.

At the show, representatives of the German and Italian wood machinery associations told the 5th International Association Press Conference that their sales fell by 12% (to €2.7bn) and 14% (€1.67bn) respectively during 2002.

Germany’s home market was affected by a struggling construction industry and a 9.6% fall in furniture production. One result was that wood machine exports rose to 66% of German output, with veneer equipment rising to 90%.

Italy’s domestic market shrank by just 4%, however, its machine exports declined by 16.6%.

Attendance at the show did reflect wider global problems, but the consensus from a cross-section of the 1,721 exhibitors questioned was that the fall in visitors to 100,000 from 114,169 in 2001 was less steep than expected. And attendance from abroad was actually up, from 40,758 to 43,500, with record levels from some countries, including Taiwan and the US (and this was against the background of US wood machinery imports up 8.5% to US$1.225bn in 2002).

More important was the fact that those that did come were clearly there to do business.

“In the current economic environment, you don’t get time wasting tyre-kickers here for a day out,” as one exhibitor succinctly put it. “No-one can afford to take time away from their business unless it’s essential.”

“People have come to the show with an object in mind,” said another. “They’re more focused than before. They’re looking for a specific machine or technical solution and they’re here to make serious enquiries or to place an order.”

Dr Werner Neubauer of the German Woodworking Machinery Association said that the emergence of new European markets, such as Poland and Hungary, also gave cause for “hope for the future”.

A total of 19 UK companies exhibited, six backed with SESA funding through WMSA sponsorship and three of them on the WMSA’s joint members stand.

WMSA technical director Tony Kaye said that feedback from the UK contingent was that they’d had a “positive experience” at Ligna.