FederlegnoArredo celebrated its 80th anniversary during its Annual Meeting held May 22-24 on the island of San Servolo, Venice. An anniversary celebrated in three days of meetings and reflections that revived the strategic role of the wood-furniture supply chain in the global context. Sustainability, digital transition, technological innovation and challenging global dynamics were the topics at the center of the debate.

Economic scenarios of great uncertainty

“Eighty years is not just a milestone, but a testimony of vision,” recalled FederlegnoArredo President Claudio Feltrin. - “A legacy more relevant than ever to preserve the value of. Innovation, training and sustainability drive the evolution of the supply chain.”

The president of FederlegnoArredo then shared economic data with members in his speech, analyzing the current economic situation that sees scenarios of great uncertainty. According to data from FederlegnoArredo's Study Center, after a promising start to the year, the supply chain's exports recorded a 4.8 percent drop in February, bringing the cumulative figure for the first two months to -0.7 percent, worth nearly 3 billion euros. The largest declines were recorded in France (-3.3 percent) and Germany (-3.2 percent). The United States (-0.1 percent) was stable, while Spain (+6.6 percent) and Poland (+11.5 percent) stood out with a positive sign.

Green Design Days: vision and the future

Green Design Days, which opened FederlegnoArredo's 80th anniversary celebrations, was a central moment of experimentation and discussion. Interdisciplinary workshops explored the dialogue between manufacturing and digital. Also central was the direct testimony of member companies that recounted concrete projects toward sustainability: regeneration of materials, low environmental impact processes, Life Cycle Assessment tools, co-design with designers and R&D.

“We wanted,” Claudio Feltrin explained, "this anniversary to speak of openness, dialogue and global vision. With the Green Design Days we reaffirmed that our supply chain is made up of companies that produce durable, sustainable goods, and that innovate not only in the product but also in the process, to respond to new consumption patterns and an extended responsibility that calls us to rethink the life cycle of our products. Our companies, brought together in three days of comparisons and value building, showed how sustainability is now a structural part of their industrial model."

A Flower in San Servolo

Among the most significant moments as part of the 80th anniversary celebrations was the official inauguration of “Un Fiore a San Servolo,” the amphitheater designed by MCA Architect & Founder Mario Cucinella and built through the use of 3D printing and sustainable materials. A space for meeting and dialogue open to citizens, ready to host artistic performances, theatrical and musical events, which debuted with a monologue by Giancarlo Giannini, produced in collaboration with the Fondazione Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia.

Claudio Feltrin and Mario Cucinella at the opening of “A Flower in San Servolo”