LIGNA Hanover

When planning your visit, knowing the LIGNA Hanover dates and opening hours is essential for organising meetings with woodworking machinery manufacturers, sawmill technology providers, wood-based panel production equipment suppliers, furniture production machinery specialists, tooling and automation companies, and distribution partners.

Professional buyers in this industry evaluate more than individual machines. Productivity, precision, automation capability, energy efficiency, material utilisation, sustainability, and total cost of ownership all influence procurement and partnership decisions.

LIGNA Hanover provides a professional environment for exploring developments across woodworking machinery, timber processing plant, forestry technology, wood-based panel production, furniture manufacturing, surface treatment, and Industry 4.0 solutions.

Why Visit LIGNA Hanover?

For professional visitors, LIGNA Hanover offers a concentrated setting to compare woodworking and timber processing technologies, discover emerging innovations, evaluate suppliers, and follow developments across the global woodworking and timber processing industry within one event.

The event brings together manufacturers of woodworking machinery, sawmill technology, wood-based panel production lines, furniture manufacturing equipment, forestry machinery, and automation solutions with production managers, technical directors, procurement professionals, plant managers, process engineers, and R&D specialists from woodworking, timber processing, furniture manufacturing, construction, and other industrial sectors.

Visitors can compare product ranges, evaluate suppliers, identify partnership opportunities, examine technical documentation, and follow developments in automation, digitalisation, sustainable production, timber construction, and Industry 4.0. LIGNA is the world’s leading trade fair for the woodworking and wood processing industry, taking place biennially in Hanover.

The next edition will take place from 10 to 14 May 2027 at the Hanover Exhibition Centre in Hanover, Germany. Opening hours are from 09:00 to 18:00 daily, Monday to Friday. LIGNA 2025 brought together 1,433 exhibitors from 49 countries and around 78,000 visitors from 156 countries. Trade visitors accounted for 93% of attendance, and 60% of them held management positions. Visitors should check the organiser’s official website for the latest ticket, registration, programme and visitor information.

Source: LIGNA Official Website — LIGNA – The World’s Leading Trade Fair for the Woodworking and Wood Processing Industry

Exhibition Background & Industry Context

LIGNA is the world’s leading trade fair for the woodworking and wood processing industry, taking place biennially in Hanover. LIGNA is the meeting place for the woodworking and timber processing industry and the forestry and wood industries, serving as the number one meeting point for the wood and forestry industry.

Exhibitors from all over the world showcase their latest products and technologies in the areas of forestry, sawmill technology, solid wood processing, wood panel and veneer production, wood crafts, and furniture manufacturing. The event features numerous user-oriented special presentations, seminars, symposia, and international contact exchanges.

LIGNA 2027 introduces a major new highlight: LIGNA.Builds, a live construction project where a single-family home using modern wood-frame construction will be built over the course of the five-day trade show, in collaboration with exhibitors and partners. From the foundation slab to the walls, floors, and roof structure—culminating in the topping-out ceremony—visitors will experience the entire construction process in real time, showcasing the complete value chain of industrialised wood construction.

Visitors should check the official 2027 programme for confirmed guided tours, expert talks, live demonstrations, and the topping-out ceremony.

Key areas at LIGNA Hanover include:

• Woodworking Machinery — CNC machining centres, panel saws, edge banding machines, sanding machines, drilling, routing and nesting systems, window and door production machinery
• Timber Processing Plant — sawmill technology, scanning and defect-detection systems, cross-cutting and optimisation systems, solid wood processing, planing and profiling machinery, finger-jointing and gluing lines
• Wood-Based Panel Production — particleboard and MDF production lines, OSB and fibreboard technology, forming and pressing systems, resin preparation and dosing, continuous presses, board sanding and finishing, panel handling and storage, quality measurement and inspection, and recycling of wood-based panels
• Forestry and Log Yard Technology — timber harvesting, log handling, log yard management, and forestry engineering
• Furniture Manufacturing — industrial furniture and cabinet production machinery, custom and mass production equipment for solid wood, wood-based panels, plastics and composite materials
• Timber Construction — machinery and production technology for CLT, glulam, timber-frame elements and other engineered wood components
• Woodworking Tools and Accessories — cutting tools, CNC tools, tool maintenance, tool sharpening, and adhesive application, dosing, pressing and bonding technology
• Automation and Digitalisation — Industry 4.0, robotics, artificial intelligence, production planning and MES software, predictive maintenance, material-flow and warehouse automation, and machine safety
• Surface Treatment Technology — industrial coating technology, surface finishing, and treatment solutions
• Energy from Wood — wood-fuel preparation, biomass combustion, process heat, combined heat and power, energy recovery from wood residues, wood-residue processing and recycling
• Extraction and Dust Control — extraction systems, dust-control technology, and air purification
• Moisture Measurement and Quality Control — moisture measurement, scanning, and quality inspection systems

Is This Trade Fair Right for You?

Relevance depends on your role within the woodworking and timber processing value chain and whether your objectives involve sourcing equipment, identifying technology partners, evaluating production capabilities, or understanding market trends in the woodworking and timber processing industry.

Ideal For

• Production managers and plant managers
• Technical directors and process engineers
• Procurement professionals and technical buyers
• Sawmill operators and timber processing professionals
• Wood-based panel manufacturers
• Furniture and cabinet producers
• Carpenters and joiners
• Forestry and log yard professionals
• Timber construction and prefabrication specialists
• Window and door manufacturers
• Automation and digitalisation engineers
• Tooling and cutting specialists
• Surface treatment and finishing professionals
• Energy managers and sustainability specialists
• Researchers, educators, and students
• Media, associations, and investors monitoring innovation across the woodworking sector

These professionals can assess product ranges, compare technical capabilities, examine system documentation, and evaluate productivity, precision, automation, and long-term partnership potential.

May Be Less Relevant For

LIGNA may be less relevant for consumers seeking retail wood products or small-scale DIY equipment. It is primarily a professional trade event for the woodworking and timber processing industry, focused on B2B relationships between manufacturers, suppliers, processors, and commercial buyers. Companies focused solely on non-wood materials or unrelated industrial equipment without application in woodworking or timber processing may also find the professional audience’s expectations challenging.

Industries & Business Areas Represented

• Woodworking Machinery — CNC machining centres, panel saws, edge banding machines, sanding machines, drilling, routing and nesting systems
• Timber Processing Plant — sawmill technology, scanning, cross-cutting, solid wood processing, planing, finger-jointing, and gluing lines
• Wood-Based Panel Production — particleboard, MDF, OSB, fibreboard, veneer, forming and pressing systems, and panel finishing
• Forestry Engineering — timber harvesting, log handling, and log yard management
• Furniture Manufacturing — industrial furniture and cabinet production machinery
• Window and Door Production — specialised machinery for window and door manufacturing
• Timber Construction — CLT, glulam, timber-frame, and engineered wood component production technology
• Tools and Accessories — cutting tools, CNC tools, tool maintenance, and adhesive application technology
• Automation and Digitalisation — Industry 4.0, robotics, AI, MES software, and warehouse automation
• Surface Treatment Technology — industrial coating, surface finishing, and treatment solutions
• Energy from Wood — biomass combustion, process heat, CHP, and energy recovery from wood residues
• Extraction and Dust Control — extraction systems, dust control, and air purification
• Moisture Measurement and Quality Control — moisture measurement, scanning, and quality inspection
• Services — training, consulting, and technical services

These business areas are connected by the commercial and operational requirements of the woodworking and timber processing sector, where productivity, precision, automation, and total cost of ownership are as important as individual machines.

Products & Solutions You Can Explore

Product and solution areas presented by the organiser include:

• CNC machining centres, panel saws, edge banding machines, and sanding machines
• Drilling, routing, nesting, and window/door production machinery
• Sawmill technology, scanning systems, and optimisation equipment
• Solid wood processing, planing, profiling, finger-jointing, and gluing lines
• Particleboard, MDF, OSB, fibreboard, and veneer production lines
• Forming and pressing systems, continuous presses, and panel finishing
• Timber harvesting, log handling, and forestry machinery
• Industrial furniture and cabinet production machinery
• Machinery for processing solid wood, wood-based panels, plastics and composite materials
• CLT, glulam, and timber-frame production technology
• Cutting tools, CNC tools, tool maintenance, and adhesive application technology
• Automation, robotics, AI, MES software, and warehouse automation
• Industrial coating technology and surface finishing equipment
• Biomass combustion, process heat, CHP, and energy recovery systems
• Extraction systems, dust-control technology, and air purification
• Moisture measurement, scanning, and quality inspection systems
• Consulting, training, and technical services

Business Opportunities

• Compare woodworking and timber processing equipment against defined production requirements
• Assess whether equipment meets productivity, precision, and quality standards
• Evaluate automation capability, energy efficiency, and total cost of ownership
• Identify equipment, technology, and service partners for planned production upgrades or new facilities
• Evaluate competing approaches to woodworking, timber processing, furniture manufacturing, and timber construction
• Compare how suppliers address sustainability, resource efficiency, and digitalisation
• Clarify regulatory compliance, certification requirements, and technical documentation through direct discussions with potential partners
• Compare systems based on throughput, precision, material utilisation, and automation level
• Network with equipment manufacturers, technology providers, processors, and procurement professionals

How to Prepare for a Productive Visit

Before attending LIGNA Hanover, careful planning can significantly improve the value of your visit:

• Define your strategic priorities: Identify whether your focus is on woodworking machinery, timber processing plant, wood-based panel production, forestry technology, furniture manufacturing, tools and accessories, automation and digitalisation, surface treatment, or timber construction
• Prepare questions about production capability, precision, and automation: For woodworking machinery, ask about precision, productivity, automation interfaces, changeover time, material compatibility, energy consumption, maintenance requirements, and total cost of ownership. For timber processing equipment, consider throughput, log handling capability, drying efficiency, and finishing quality. For wood-based panel production, examine forming and pressing systems, resin preparation, and continuous press technology. For automation and digitalisation solutions, examine integration with existing systems, data management, scalability, and user training
• Experience LIGNA.Builds: This live construction project where a single-family home is built over the course of the trade show offers a unique opportunity to see the entire value chain of modern timber construction in action. Visitors should check the official 2027 programme for guided tours, expert talks, live demonstrations, and the topping-out ceremony
• Review the supporting programme: LIGNA features special presentations, seminars, symposia, and international contact exchanges. Visitors should consult the official 2027 programme for confirmed events, presentations, and demonstrations
• Divide the exhibitor landscape by key areas: Before the event, group exhibitors by key areas — woodworking machinery, timber processing, wood-based panels, forestry, furniture, tools, automation, surface treatment, energy — to structure your visit efficiently. The fair takes place from 10 to 14 May 2027 at the Hanover Exhibition Centre
• Plan meetings with potential partners: The event provides an opportunity to coordinate with manufacturers, suppliers, and industry professionals in one location

Review the organiser’s current exhibitor directory and group relevant companies by business objective, product area, or hall location before planning meetings.

Exhibitor Perspective

Exhibitors at LIGNA range from international woodworking machinery manufacturers, sawmill technology providers, and wood-based panel production equipment suppliers to furniture machinery companies, tooling specialists, automation providers, and surface treatment companies. LIGNA 2025 brought together 1,433 exhibitors from 49 countries and around 78,000 visitors from 156 countries. Trade visitors accounted for 93% of attendance, and 60% of them held management positions.

Visitors evaluating potential partners should look beyond individual products to understand productivity, precision, automation capability, and total cost of ownership. The event’s focus on innovation, digitalisation, sustainability, and B2B networking provides additional engagement opportunities for visitors and exhibitors.

Planning to exhibit rather than visit? Explore the LIGNA Hanover Strategic Exhibitor Guide.

Continue Your Research

Research companies participating in the exhibition — explore the LIGNA Hanover Exhibitor List to identify woodworking machinery manufacturers, timber processing plant suppliers, wood-based panel production equipment companies, furniture machinery specialists, tooling providers, automation companies, and surface treatment specialists before your visit.

When comparing woodworking and timber events, use our guide to choose the right trade fair in Germany for your strategic sourcing or partnership priorities.

Understanding how German and European professional buyers evaluate suppliers can help you prepare more focused conversations during product exhibitions.

At LIGNA Hanover, a productive visit depends on evaluating productivity, precision, automation capability, and strategic fit across the woodworking and timber processing ecosystem.