Il wood sector in the province of Torino presents itself as a robust industry, with companies preparing to face the first months of 2025 with a good order book, despite the challenges of economic uncertainty. However, the shared feeling is that “we are sailing by sight”. Companies are faced with an ever-changing landscape, which is expected to persist into 2025, requiring careful and flexible strategic planning.
These are the main points that emerged during the fourth edition of Orizzonte Legno, the annual conference organized by the Associazione Legno product group of the Turin Industrial Union, which brings together over 30 companies with more than 500 employees, thanks to the support of Banco Azzoaglio, Conlegno and Rilegno.
Wood: a sector between resilience and new challenges
The 2024 works, entitled “From historical heritage to new frontiers”, were launched by the president of the Turin Industrial Union Marco Gay: “In 2023, the wood-furniture sector in Italy reached a turnover of 52,7 billion euros, contributing 3,2% to the national GDP. In this context, Piedmont emerges as a reference territory for the wood-furniture sector in Italy. The region is home to approximately 3.500 companies active in the supply chain, which generate an annual turnover of over 4 billion euros. Despite the difficulties linked to the increase in the price of raw materials and logistical interruptions, Piedmontese companies have been able to invest in technological innovation and sustainability. In particular, the increase in the use of local raw materials and the adoption of advanced recycling processes have strengthened the competitiveness of the sector, while at the same time encouraging a transition towards more circular and resilient production models. Data that tell us about a sector that not only resists, but evolves, ready to seize new growth opportunities”.
A market between declines and adjustments
Matteo Mazzoni, president of Associazione Legno, highlighted the ability of wood to adapt to global changes and macroeconomic dynamics: “I have often wondered what makes wood so versatile and capable of responding to our needs. The answer lies in the regenerative ability of nature itself, which allows wood to thrive even in compromised environments. It is almost as if nature needed to re-establish a balance, reorganizing the disorder that human activity creates on our planet”.
La industrial production of the wood sector, excluding furniture, saw a drop of 3,9% in first eight months of 2024, according to Istat data. A decline linked to the end of Super bonus, which in 2024 generated significantly lower volumes than in 2023. Turin companies, however, are seeing signs of recovery: orders seem to be picking up in the last months of the year, with positive prospects for the beginning of 2025. In the meantime, the market has stabilized, with wood prices – mostly conifers – remaining virtually unchanged.
New regulations and the rush for investments
The look at the future, however, imposes caution. Among the challenges of 2025 are stringent European regulations, such as the Eudr regulation against deforestation, which will lead to new bureaucratic costs and significant operational impacts, making it essential to diversify suppliers, explore alternative markets and keep more strategic options open.
Despite the uncertainties, wood continues to gain ground as a sustainable material and a pillar of the green economy. The conference closed with expert interventions and a round table that confirmed the need for flexible strategies to face a future that is yet to be written.
