AIMSAD Secretary General Arif Onur Kaçak attended the annual general assembly meeting of the European Federation of Woodworking Machinery Manufacturers (EUMABOIS), which brings together woodworking machinery manufacturers across Europe, held in Finland. During the meeting, Kaçak provided information about the current state of the Turkish woodworking machinery sector and shared the sector’s future goals and strategic vision with international participants.

The EUMABOIS annual general assembly meeting was held this year in Helsinki, Finland. The meeting began with evaluations regarding the market trends of the industry. In the second part, assessments were made concerning financial performance and the international network of exhibitions.

“Our goal is to encourage collective wisdom”

The meeting began with an opening speech by EUMABOIS President Luigi De Vito, who emphasized the importance of wood and trade in this rapidly growing metropolitan area of Europe and stated that Helsinki is the right place for business dialogue. Highlighting that timely adoption and adaptation of technology is a significant need for Europe’s competitiveness, Luigi De Vito reminded that the aim of the EUMABOIS General Assembly is to encourage a collective wisdom and expressed his gratitude to the participants.

“Asian markets are growing rapidly”

VDMA Market Analyst Dominik Wolfschuetz, who presented on the leading trends in the woodworking machinery market, stated that the figures are not promising, but in-depth analyses are needed to find signs of recovery. Wolfschuetz pointed out that the fastest-growing markets are the Asian markets, saying, “This situation makes competition even tougher. Therefore, not only the weak economy but also new competitors must be taken into account.” Following the pessimistic industry trends, Wolfschuetz noted that the decline in inflation, an important indicator for the machinery industry, will emerge as a positive factor for the future. e mentioned that there are some concrete signs that new products could stimulate future investments, emphasizing the importance of investments such as large-scale CLT, glued laminated timber investments, modular housing projects, fiber insulation panel investments, and recycling lines. Finally, Wolfschuetz stated in his presentation that the U.S. is a stable market and positive feedback has been received from Eastern Europe, adding, “China’s dominance in panel sector orders should be considered, and we must face this competition.”

“We are working intensively for the development of our sector and to achieve a stronger position internationally”

Conducting a presentation on the Turkish woodworking machinery sector and the WoodTech Fair: AIMSAD Secretary General Arif Onur Kaçak highlighted that the fair is one of the most significant international events showcasing woodworking machines and technologies. Noting that the fair is held in Istanbul, Kaçak stated that participants have the opportunity to showcase the latest technologies, promoting innovative solutions and technological advancements in the sector on an international scale. Expressing that AIMSAD is working intensively to support and grow the sector both in Türkiye and abroad, Kaçak said, “The woodworking machinery sector makes significant contributions to the country’s economy. The sector has become an important player globally by breaking export records for many years. As AIMSAD, we are also working intensively for the development of our sector and to achieve a stronger position internationally. This year marks the 10th anniversary of AIMSAD, and during this period, we have closely followed the dynamics of the domestic market while managing sectoral processes and have carried out our analyses related to the sector meticulously.”