The press conference of Catas, the most important European laboratory for testing and certification in the wood-furniture sector, was held on October 13th, on the occasion of Sicam. "It is truly a great pleasure to be able to see you here again, today, on the occasion of Sicam," said Franco Bulian, director of Catas, "a strong signal that the season we have all experienced is finally coming to an end and that we can finally begin to look to the future with renewed enthusiasm.

 

A growing sector

In spite of the problems caused by the pandemic, the wood-furnishing sector is experiencing a very positive season, as shown by the double-digit figures involving all furniture sectors, a trend that all observers are indicating as "steadily growing" at planetary level until 2027. This strong demand calls for precise requirements: "durable" products, which guarantee to maintain their performance for a long time; "safe" products, able to ensure the necessary peace of mind in any environment and for any need of use; "environmentally friendly" products that, from their design to when they have to be disposed of, prove to be environmentally friendly by requiring the least possible use of energy and resources. Values to which both manufacturers and consumers around the world are showing increasing attention.

 

New investments and new services

This trend has a positive influence on the work of Catas, whose balance sheet also shows indicators of continuous growth for 2021: in fact, it is estimated that the laboratory will close 2021 with an increase in turnover of about 6 percent and with a further increase in the number of tests carried out for over 2,000 customers in 65 countries around the world. This growth has convinced the Catas board of directors to launch new investments and provide new services.
A new three-storey building will be constructed at the San Giovanni al Natisone (Udine) site, 2,400 square meters that will accommodate new laboratories to strengthen many activities. The "Testing 4.0" platform will also be further enhanced, a real network that allows connection between the more than 100 test stations, operating 24 hours a day, in the offices of San Giovanni al Natisone and Lissone.
Among the new services that the laboratory offers are risk assessment, the "Risk Assessment" on furniture, including electrified furniture, i.e. furniture that contains within it systems that can be activated or used thanks to the presence of electrical devices.

 

Training and certification activities

All the training activities carried out by the "Catas Academy" have also increased: overall, this year more than 50 courses will be held for over 300 hours of training. The laboratory is also expanding its product certification activities through the "Catas Quality Awards", which now attest to the level of quality in terms of formaldehyde emissions from panels, the coating of domestic furniture, laminated profiles and playground surfaces, as well as the "Made in Italy" designation of origin. This increasingly important activity is so important that, by the end of the year, a new Catas website dedicated entirely to certification will be online.
Still on the subject of product qualification, in recent months Catas has launched the most recent of its services dedicated to sustainability: "The Life Cycle measured by Catas". This is an internal qualification process that allows its technicians to objectively and accurately "measure" the actual "sustainability" of a product, from its design to its disposal.  It is a protocol based on the only method recognized worldwide to "calculate sustainability", the "Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)" based on internationally recognized standards.