The results of the Woodex-2025 exhibition have been summed up

In early December, the 19th annual international exhibition of equipment, materials, and components for the woodworking and furniture industries, Woodex 2025, took place in Moscow. 178 companies from Russia, Austria, Belarus, Vietnam, India, China, the UAE, and Turkey participated. The exhibition showcased everything needed for this industry.

Each day's business program included plenary sessions, roundtables, and industry discussions:

One of the highlights of the exhibition was the plenary session "The State of the Forestry Industry and Support Measures for the Industry and Equipment Manufacturers." Alexander Tambi, Head of the Lestech Association, noted that the sector is undergoing profound structural changes: increasing production without technological modernization is no longer possible. He emphasized that available government support measures are underutilized, and domestic high-performance machine tools are still being produced in limited quantities.

• Georgy Zherebyatyev, a representative of the Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade, spoke about a national project aimed at developing the Russian machine tool industry. The program includes preferential lending, R&D support, and a ban on the purchase of foreign equipment if a domestic equivalent is available. The Chinese side, represented by CNFMA Secretary General Wei Jiang, expressed interest in cooperation, emphasizing that Russia is one of the top three markets for Chinese forestry equipment.

• At the session on robotics, the increasing interest of enterprises in automation was discussed. According to the Federal Center for Control and Monitoring of Industrial Automation, 1,500 enterprises will be able to undergo diagnostics before implementing robotic solutions. High costs and lack of awareness were noted as barriers. Experts also noted the imbalance between raw material production regions and consumption centers, which complicates logistics and increases the burden on the industry.

• Specialists presented solutions for targeted automation: collaborative robots, machine vision systems, logistics complexes, and AI modules for quality control. Case studies of automated production lines being implemented in furniture manufacturing were also showcased.

•; Additionally, an analytical session on the plywood and lumber markets, a discussion on wood waste recycling, and a debate on the future of timber construction were held. Experts noted that the industrialization of processes and growing interest in environmentally friendly technologies support the sector's stable development. The forecast through 2030 remains positive, with an average annual growth rate of approximately 3%.