Dieffenbacher Hosts Technology Symposium 

On May 19 and 20, more than 100 participants from the international wood-based panels industry gathered at the b’mine Hotel Frankfurt Airport at the Dieffenbacher Technology Symposium to discuss new solutions and best practices for the industry’s most pressing challenges. The series of results-oriented expert presentations and personal exchanges comprised the German machinery and plant manufacturer’s second such symposium since 2024.

“We were very impressed by the high level of interest our second Technology Symposium generated even before the event took place,” comments Stefan Zipf, CTO and member of the Management Board at Dieffenbacher. “The symposium was a big hit with our partners and customers. We had to raise the cap on attendance twice during the registration period and still couldn’t offer everyone a spot for this year.”

The symposium program featured prominent guest speakers, including Geert Coudenys, R&D Director at Unilin Panels; Francisco Javier Blanco Fernandez, Plant General Manager of Finsa’s production site in Nelas, Portugal; and Michael Riffel, Senior Consultant at AFRY.

Two other highlights: Timber HP Co-founder and CEO Matthew O’Malia described how his company became a pioneer in wood fiber insulation boards in North America with the help of a Dieffenbacher plant relocated from Germany to the U.S., and Prof. Dr. Mario Beyer, Head of the Chemical Department and Deputy Head of the Chemical Testing Laboratory at the Dresden Institute of Wood Technology (IHD), together with Venla Hemmilä, Material & Technology Engineer at IKEA, shared their insights related to low-carbon boards and bio-based resins.

In their presentations, Dieffenbacher experts focused on hot-button topics, including fiberboard and waste-wood recycling, hybrid boards and special applications, the future of drying technologies and emission control, and the digitalization of wood-based panel plants. In addition, attendees gained insights into new Dieffenbacher products and the company’s innovation process. International event host Camilla Biasio guided the audience through the two-day program.

“Our partners and customers clearly have an enormous thirst for knowledge and a strong desire for personal interaction,” Zipf adds. “Our Technology Symposium helps to fill that need—especially during LIGNA off-years—and we look forward to hosting another symposium in 2028.”