Hannover. From 3 to 4 May 2016, Deutsche Messe and the German Woodworking Machinery Association within the VDMA are co-staging the international LIGNA Conference at the Robotation Academy in Hannover, Germany. The conference title is "Integrated manufacturing in the woodworking industries – the woodworking community on its way to Industry 4.0". The conference will not only address the growing importance of new business processes and the sweeping importance of the digital revolution for development, production and distribution, but also offer examples of how companies have embraced the Industry 4.0 initiative in Germany and successfully restructured their production processes. "An integrated approach to woodworking production opens up exciting new prospects for the sector. We will demonstrate that Industry 4.0 has already moved well beyond the visionary stage", says Christian Pfeiffer, Director of LIGNA at Deutsche Messe.

The main content of the LIGNA Conference will be presented in keynote talks, best-practice examples, lectures and panel discussions with reference to the furniture industry, the wholesale trade, the automobile and caravan industries, information systems/IT, automation technology, mechanical engineering and science/technology. Best-practice presentations will take place parallel to the conference, while experts in the various areas will offer their expertise. The conference is expected to attract many attendees from outside Germany, so simultaneous interpreters will be on hand to translate the proceedings from German into English.

The conference will begin with keynote speeches on the afternoon of 3 May 2016. The first keynote will be given by Timothy Kaufmann, Business Development Internet of Things, SAP Deutschland. He will be immediately followed by Markus Kuhbach, Wood Division Director at Adolf Würth GmbH & Co. KG. The audience will also be treated to visionary ideas as expressed by the furniture giant IKEA, as presented by Per Berggren, Manager Industrial Strategies, IKEA Industry. At the close of the first day of the conference, a big Networking Event will give everyone a chance to get acquainted and share ideas and expertise.

The next day – 4 May – wil be kicked off by Olaf Katzer, Head of International Training and Career Development at Volkswagen AG. The afternoon will feature further presentations and a panel discussion.