With a renewed impetus and conviction in timber, Carrefour International du Bois 2024 saw the return one of Europe’s central meeting places for international timber talk.
- Attendance: 13 500 visitors 39% foreign visitors
- Nearly 100 countries represented
- 637 Exhibitors
- 40 Countries 39% international
- + 28% gross area Four Exhibition Halls featuring: Parquet, Panels, Construction & Services, Sawing, Forestry and Wood Trade
For Jean Piveteau, President of the Carrefour International du Bois, the 2024 show was a huge satisfaction saying: “The stands were of an even higher scale again this year, reflecting the sector’s increase in skills and the diversification of products. We are delighted that the sectorisation of the show was received so well by the exhibitors and met with the expectations of the visitors. The 25% increase in the surface area of the show, with a first ever occupation of the XXL hall, also making the movement between stands more pleasant and organised. We owe this success in large part to the involvement and professionalism of the Fibois Pays-de-la-Loire team, who organises this show in a friendly atmosphere, characteristic of the Carrefour International du Bois.”
Carrefour International du Bois is also a place of information on major themes shared by professionals with show stands and conference sessions.
Growing public sector involvement
The visit of Marc Fesneau, Minister of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty, at the opening of the show testifies to the support now provided by the French State for the sector, already shown through the appointment of an interministerial delegate for forestry, timber and its uses in April (Jean-Michel Servant, former President of France Bois Forêt).
Identified as a lever for the development of the industry and employment, beyond its environmental utility, the sector is the subject of a second phase of projects as part of the France 2030 government’s investment plan operated by ADEME (The French Agency for Ecological Transition). In an unprecedented social context, marked by the acceleration of climate change, renewing dialogue with society is a major challenge for the forestry and timber industry.
Carrefour was an opportunity to review the latter’s social utility report, which lays the foundations of its approach to joint actions for the years to come. It explains the role of the forest and the industry around three pillars, which should make it possible to develop a common framework of commitment for timber professionals: meeting the human needs, while protecting all living things and fighting against global warming. Aware of its strengths, the industry has once again demonstrated its ability to innovate in order to reduce its environmental impact, exploring in particular the theme of reuse in construction. The dynamics of structuring the timber industry are giving rise to new players and new outlets to preserve resources and continuously improve its environmental impact by working on extending the life of timber products.
Women in forestry and timber construction
Sarah Laroussi, Director General of the CNDB, said: “It is essential that the forest-timber industry be made known to women in order to promote the assets of the sector and the professions that make it up. According to figures from the Observatory of Trades, 20% of employees in the wood industry are women. This is more than in the construction sector, where women represent only 13% of the workforce, although this is encouraging, the forestry and timber sector is ambitious and seeks to attract more women to its ranks. Today, women in the forestry and timber sector are not limited to support functions; they also work in the field, in the forests, on construction sites and in carpentry companies. However, there is still a lot of room for improvement, and it is for this reason that the industry is initiating many actions to enhance careers.”
Nicolas Visier, Director of the Carrefour International du Bois, added: “Professionals were delighted to meet again for three days of rich exchanges. The industry can trust in the future of this beautiful material of ours and continue to develop over the medium term. This was important, and even necessary, considering the economic situation, environmental issues and the pressure of the current authorities on the industry.”
Focus on innovation
Since 2022, Carrefour International du Bois has been giving a place to innovation and the research of new products. At a time when innovation and cross-sector collaboration are essential, WoodTech is positioned as a dynamic network that gathers and supports innovative start-ups to serve the sustainable development of the forestry-timber sector. These companies, through their technical or operational innovations, contribute to the transformation of the entire value chain of this industry. WoodTech took advantage of the event to announce a major initiative: the launch of a national startup competition for the Forest Timber Chemistry sector, which aims to identify and support the most promising innovations within the sector, providing a platform for groundbreaking ideas and to receive the support necessary for their development and success.
Jean Piveteau concluded by saying: “The public authorities are becoming aware of the importance of the sector and the responses it provides to society. We would like to warmly thank all our exhibitors and partners for their presence and their confidence. The forestry sector is taking the place it deserves.”
More at: www.timbershow.com
