interzum 2023 – Industry to present smart products and concepts for sustainable interior design

Over 1,600 companies from across the globe will present sustainable concepts and products for contemporary homes and interior design at interzum 2023

In a few days’ time, interzum 2023, the world’s leading trade fair for furniture production and interior design, will open in Cologne. The industry event is considered a crucial source of impetus for the sector and a trend scout for sustainable interior design in all spheres of life. The central theme for this year’s edition of the trade fair is neo-ecology. Exhibitors from across the world will therefore present product ideas and concepts that focus on the fundamental social issues of sustainability, resource conservation and the circular economy. Naturalness and authenticity on the one hand and the smart home and AI on the other will set the tone for the product developments showcased at the event.

Combining sustainability with excellent design is a crucial issue for companies such as the Austrian wood-based materials group Fritz Egger. The company has chosen “together we grow” as the banner for its appearance at the trade fair this year in Hall 6.1 (A70/71). With TM9 PerfectSense Smoothtouch Matt, Egger will present a matt-lacquered surface variant on a chipboard core with 71% of the wood coming from the circular economy. In addition, this new product launch is 100% recyclable at the end of its life cycle and can be used to produce new boards. Other highlights from the company will include ST40 Feelwood Oakgrain, the latest generation of the Feelwood synchronised pore surfaces, and two new matt-lacquered, textured variants of the PerfectSense lacquered boards.

Also appearing in the Materials & Nature exhibition segment, the German decor specialist Schattdecor will showcase its new environmentally friendly furniture surface Fineflex as part of an industry-wide material evolution. Depending on the design and colour palette, Fineflex consists of up to 80% recycled PET sourced from Europe and produced in Germany as part of the company’s Finished Surfaces product range. The sustainable product is available with a decor print, as a solid-colour surface or with a metallic effect. The Schatt Group’s trade fair stand in Hall 6 (C20/E29) is also set to leave a lasting impression: It will visualise how the boundaries between individual spheres of life are gradually disappearing. Put another way, the future knows no bounds when it comes to design.

In the Function & Components segment, Hettich will be appearing in Hall 8 (C31/B40). And any trade fair visitors who did not know what a “translational rotational movement” is are sure to be much the wiser – and probably very excited – after a visit to its stand: The company will present a unique new launch from its fittings range that is set to further enhance the attractiveness of exclusive furniture collections. That’s all we can reveal here. But Hettich also has the volume business covered. It will present Novisys, a fast-assembly concealed hinge that has been developed for the furniture industry and provides integrated soft-closing convenience for furniture doors in the mid-range price segment at exceptional value for money. An innovation in combining sustainability with trade fair appearances is also worth mentioning: For the first time, a Hettich trade fair stand has been certified as carbon-neutral by an independent partner.

Ninkaplast will present the diversity of its plastic products – including those outside the homes and interior design segment – in their full spectrum for the first time at interzum (Hall 7.1, Stand B38). The spotlight will be on two highlights from its range of base units, Trigon and Qanto. Also on display from the company will be new solutions for utility rooms and the taska carrier bag, the latest addition to the eins2vier waste separation family. Ninkaplast, one of the few owner-managed medium-sized companies to regularly publish a sustainability report, will clearly focus its showcase on its social and environmental responsibility. One especially relevant fact: Together with other companies from its home region of East Westphalia-Lippe, its production will be carbon-neutral by 2030 at the latest.

New dynamism will also be palpable in the Textile & Machinery segment: Following a four-year “break”, Gruppo Grassi s.r.l. will once again be represented in Hall 10.1. Its showcase will feature a complete production unit for mattresses. Up to 36 of the Tuscan company’s machines will demonstrate live how an intelligent factory operates at the cutting edge of technology. “We expect the trade fair to be the starting signal for our future expansion,” says President and CEO Matteo Grassi.

Given the fact that the textile industry is responsible for a considerable share of global CO2 emissions, it’s vital that sustainable practices and a long-term mindset are adopted along the entire value chain all the way through to the end consumer. That’s why Dürkopp Adler is launching an initiative that combines modern technology with environmentally friendly solutions under its new “e-con” brand (stand A70/B71 in Hall 10.1). With the introduction of its M-TYPE DELTA e-con industrial sewing machine, the company has reached the first milestone on its journey towards sustainability. This latest addition to the digitalised product family proves that there’s no need to compromise on performance. In fact, the opposite is true: the e-con promises to cut energy consumption by 25 per cent compared with other digital sewing machines – while also delivering better results. The company, based in Bielefeld, Germany, already has more future-oriented solutions in its development pipeline. Like many other exhibitors, it continues to see enormous potential ahead for the industry and its leading trade fair, interzum.

Leggett & Platt, Inc., from Carthage (Missouri), founded in 1883, is also taking full advantage of these opportunities. By exhibiting its new products in Hall 7.1 and Hall 9.1, the long-established American company will have a presence in both the Function & Components and the Textile & Machinery sections. Leggett & Platt Home Furniture combines design with enhanced comfort in its innovative products, such as the LP CloudZero function, which is used in applications ranging from compact reclining chairs and wall hugger systems right through to pedestal solutions. Subdivision Global Systems Group offers sustainable mattress systems designed to save resources while simultaneously improving productivity and the quality of the end product. A new, highly automated production line that can make one finished bed per minute is also being built on the GSG site. Another Leggett & Platt subsidiary, Swiss-based Spühl GmbH, will be showcasing new service and IT offerings focused on providing technical support for upholstery- and mattress-making machines, including Smart Services and the recently launched Fitness Center+ solution, which brings together elements of the company’s service portfolio for added customer convenience.

interzum’s “Shaping the change” philosophy and the overarching central theme of “neo-ecology” will also be taken up in 2023’s wide-ranging event programme. Themed special events – the interzum Trend Forums – will highlight the creativity and flexibility of the furniture supplier industry in responding to the challenges of our time. The latest furniture and interior design sector topics will be presented to an international trade audience with reference to key trends. interzum 2023 will be open to international trade visitors between 9:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. from 9 to 12 May 2023.