In an international context where geopolitical tensions and tariffs redraw opportunities for businesses, the internationalization represents the most complex challenge for the Italian wood-furniture supply chain: this was the theme at the center of the public session of the FederlegnoArredo Assembly which was held last October 27 at the Triennale in Milan.

During the Assembly the election of the new president of FederlegnoArredo for the 2026-2030 four-year term also took place: Elia Vismara, 55 years old, a management engineer from Mariano Comense. The newly elected president, who succeeds Claudio Feltrin, declared: "I thank the Assembly for the trust and Claudio Feltrin for the work carried out in such a complex period. I take on the role with a great sense of responsibility and a spirit of service that have accompanied my commitment in these years of association life. Together with the presidential team, all the members and the staff, we will work to strengthen competitiveness and give voice to the companies that FederlegnoArredo represents."

Wood-furniture exports 2026: internationalization and competitiveness

Representatives of institutions, industry and the economic world then took part in the meeting on “Internationalization and competitiveness” to discuss the prospects of the supply chain, especially in light of the latest export data which show a 3.9% drop in the first seven months of 2026 compared to the same period of the previous year.
Enriching the debate were interventions by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Antonio Tajani, via a video message, the President of Confindustria Emanuele Orsini, Paolo Magri, President of the ISPI Scientific Committee and lecturer in International Relations at Bocconi University, and Maria Porro, President of the Salone del Mobile.Milano. 

The slowdown in exports also emerges from the analysis of the main Italian production districts. Data for the first half of 2026 highlight a varied trend across territories and destination markets, as explored in the article “Wood-furniture: exports in the first half of 2026 slow down in key districts”, click here.

Elia Vismara: priorities to support wood and furniture businesses

The importance of concretely supporting internationalization was at the center of Elia Vismara's remarks. “The internationalization remains a fundamental lever for the growth of our supply chain, but today we cannot limit ourselves to inviting companies to seek new markets: we must create the conditions so they can reach them and compete on an equal footing.” Therefore, work must be done so that Europe counters unfair competition, ensures fair access to markets and raw materials, and recognizes the investments made by companies. It is necessary to help companies identify new markets without losing sight of those already consolidated, just as it is important to invest in skills development and the training of new generations.

“It is on these concrete conditions that the competitiveness of the supply chain is played out and on which we must continue to work as a system,” concluded Vismara.

Salone del Mobile.Milano and the internationalization of Made in Italy

The ability to compete in international markets also depends on the strength of the production system as a whole, which involves the relationship between companies, promotion, manufacturing and industrial policy. Maria Porro, President of the Salone del Mobile.Milano, also spoke about internationalization, highlighting how “the real challenge for Made in Italy is not only to win new markets, but to continue to be protagonists in defining value, languages and models of living in the world. To succeed, we must overcome the logic of promotion and think in terms of industrial policy.” 

The Salone del Mobile.Milano is not just a trade fair event, but a strategic infrastructure for the country's competitiveness, able to attract international demand players to Italy and generate business opportunities. “Our competitive advantage,” concluded Maria Porro -  “is born from something difficult to replicate: the ability to transform design culture, manufacturing and innovation into a recognizable and desired production system in the world”. 

Wishing the new president of FederlegnoArredo well, Maria Porro stressed that the challenge now must be to make Italian design not only an excellence to export, but a structural lever of growth and of industrial and cultural leadership for the country.

80 years of FederlegnoArredo: the book Materia e Visione

On the occasion of the FederlegnoArredo General Assembly, the book "Materia e Visione", curated by Beppe Finessi, with the graphic project by Artemio Croatto and published by Corraini Edizioni, was presented. Materia e Visione is the story of a world made of works and projects between art, architecture and design, imagined or realized in Italy in this third millennium, which show the potential of an ancient but ever timely material such as wood, between creativity and craftsmanship.

A FederlegnoArredo project, the book was born from the desire to tell the association's story in its eighty years, a time long enough to look back, but also the right moment to look ahead with renewed confidence.