ZOW – the supplier fair for the furniture and interior design industry – has been a leading B2B marketplace for a quarter of a century. Manufacturers of products and components for furniture production and interior design gather here every two years to meet with purchasers in the furniture manufacturing industry, designers, craftspeople, architects, carpenters and product developers.

Due to the current coronavirus situation and the resulting concern in the sector, ZOW has been postponed until 3–5 May 2022. According to Matthias Pollmann, Vice President of Trade Fair Management at Koelnmesse, “there is increasing uncertainty among companies about whether taking part in a trade fair would currently be the right and responsible thing to do."

Alternating with its sister trade fair interzum , ZOW takes place every two years. It is both a creative workshop and a business event where important orders are placed with suppliers to the furnishing industry in Germany and neighbouring countries.

Koelnmesse is communicating closely and in a spirit of trust with their exhibitors, industry representatives and visitors. What has become clear from many conversations is that most are not prepared to attend ZOW in February 2022 as visitors or exhibitors, and that they have serious doubts over whether the popular trade fair can successfully go ahead in a few weeks with the situation as it is.

“In close consultation with Messe Ostwestfalen GmbH, we have now reached the conclusion together that we cannot do justice to ZOW’s importance as an established industry event on the scheduled dates", says Matthias Pollmann. "We are therefore postponing the trade fair until May 2022.” At the same time, the Vice President of Trade Fair Management emphasises that Koelnmesse’s commitment to ZOW is unaffected by this decision.

At every ZOW event, professional exchange and networking form the basis for future-oriented innovations and the development of new products. And on its new date next year, the trade fair in East Westphalia will once again provide fresh inspiration for businesses in the industry.

ZOW will take place again from 8 to 10 February 2022 in Bad Salzuflen, Germany. After a two-year enforced hiatus for trade fairs, the preparations for this important industry gathering are currently in full swing. The preliminary key figures are a cause for optimism for the trade fair team.

“We are hearing a lot of questions at the moment, like ‘Is Cologne actually going ahead with ZOW in February 2022?’", says Gerald Böse, the President and Chief Executive Officer of Koelnmesse. "My position on this is clear. We will invest in this trade fair and not make it dependent on decisions by individual companies.” After the preparations so far, the trade fair team around Matthias Pollmann and Maik Fischer is optimistic. “I’m firmly convinced that the next ZOW will send a strong signal about the industry’s immense capacity for innovation to the European market", comments Matthias Pollmann, Vice President Trade Fair Management.

As a communication network and creative workshop for the suppliers of the furniture industry, as well as a trade fair where orders are secured, ZOW is – for reasons of geographical proximity alone – of great strategic importance for a large proportion of companies operating in Germany’s furniture and, in particular, kitchen industries with respect to their product innovation cycles. This makes the trade fair one of the most vital business platforms – not only for Germany, but also for central Europe in general. Under the stewardship of Koelnmesse, the event has significantly refined its profile as a trade fair for professionals over recent years.

By introducing a new conceptual approach, in which networking and communication enjoy the same status as the presentation of product developments, Koelnmesse has returned ZOW ’s focus to the core factors at the heart of its success. There are good omens for the upcoming 2022 edition. "The initial forecasts for the event are positive, but there is still some way to go,” comments Matthias Pollmann. “We are counting on even more companies participating in ZOW , thereby sending a clear signal to the supplier industry for a strong trade fair where orders are secured at the heart of the German furniture business.”

Exhibitors can now register for ZOW 2022 . From February 8 to 10, the supplier fair for the furniture industry and interior design will take place for the third time under the leadership of Koelnmesse. The event will once again be held at the proven location of Messe Ostwestfalen. Here, manufacturers of products for furniture manufacturing will meet, among others, buyers from the furniture manufacturing industry, designers, craftsmen, architects, carpenters and product developers.

Koelnmesse has once again sharpened the profile of ZOW for the upcoming event. The concept of the trade fair will be retained and at the same time further developed. "If you want to be fit for the future, you also have to have the courage to change," says Maik Fischer, Director of ZOW . "That's why we're opening up the trade fair to individual stand construction and lifting the stand space limit within certain framework conditions. Product development and presentation are thus combined with networking and communication.

At ZOW not only are well-known industry giants on display but also "hidden champions" - secret winners and start-ups in the industry. In addition to decision-makers from the industry, carpenters and joiners, as well as the skilled trades in general, are also among the core visitor target group. The event is part of the global interzum family, so exhibitors also benefit from this network.

In February 2022, ZOW will be one of the first trade fair events to allow personal contacts again. This will also make it an important event for new developments in the furniture industry and interior design. Exhibitors can now register for the supplier fair at https://application.zow.de . The Early Bird phase with attractive conditions runs until 30 June 2021.

Mr Beeh, interzum @home has just celebrated its premiere. How did you like the new digital format?

I was impressed by the digital format, the relevance and diversity of the exhibitors, and the desire for digital communication, which went very well in terms of direct contacts. Everyone participated, from the home office.

You organized the digital conference for design and innovation materials.cologne . What were your personal highlights here?

At the expert presentations at materials.cologne , we provided a "master plan" and a "tool box" of strategies, examples and implementations for sustainable materials and product development. According to feedback from visitors, the visionary presentations by the thought leaders Dr. Anne Stenros (Think like an Urbanist), Dr. Marina-Elena Wachs (Green Materials), Karl Johan Bertilsson (Colour, Trends and Sustainability), as well as those by industry champions such as Albin Kälin (EPEA Switzerland, on Cradle to Cradle) and Dr. Peter Orth (OPC plastics consulting) on circular economy for the plastics processing industry) were particularly impressive.

What other exciting topics were there?

Floor van Ast , Managing Director of Design Post Cologne explained how sustainable design and material selection can be implemented in furniture and interior design projects and what Design Post does for this. Likewise, design practitioners such as byform design (Kristina Meyer, Thorsten Rosenstengel with "Modal Concept"), Laura Kunze (imat-uve GmbH, research project on recycling textile fibers) and the start-up project Schuh.mach.bar were convincing in showing how sustainable materials and design processes work in concrete terms. The regional project of ZebiO e.V. from the German town of Gummersbach also showed how regional economy achieves local added value in the connection of handicraft, design and trade. Last but not least, Sarah Janböcke (Essen) and Gilman Hanson (USA) broadened the horizon to sustainable management, because sustainability is not "the same in green".

What impressed you in general at the digital trade fair?

In general, the appearance of the big names in the industry at interzum@home was impressive. Some new players rightly drew attention to themselves, and I had the feeling that all exhibitors, no matter from which corner of the globe, were taken equally seriously.

The digitalization of trade fairs during the pandemic will increasingly lead to hybrid events in the future. What advantages do you see in the combination of face-to-face trade shows with digital formats?

The challenge will be to combine the quality and commitment of a face-to-face meeting with effective global communication tools. This is ideal if you have already met in person at a trade fair like interzum. The only thing that hybrid formats won't be able to do is harmonize time zones.

The digital platform interzum @home made its successful debut from 4 to 7 May. We spoke to the Director of interzum about the new trade fair experience and the added value that the digital platform offers the industry.

Mr Fischer, what conclusions have you drawn in the wake of the four-day event interzum @home?

interzum proved that its digital edition, interzum @home, can also present relevant issues emotionally and provide the industry with fresh, creative inspiration. In total, more than 10,000 participants from 132 countries were active on the platform. It was a very impressive demonstration of the relevance and attractiveness of the interzum brand on the global stage. This means that interzum, as the leading international trade fair for the sector, remains the go-to address for inspiring exchanges and new business opportunities even in these challenging times.

What added value did interzum’s digital event deliver to visitors?

interzum @home offered visitors a completely new trade fair experience. It focused on two key aspects: content and networking. The three Trend Stages and the Product Stage for exhibitors hosted around 230 specialist talks and workshops designed to promote knowledge transfer. And, in addition to watching digital presentations by the key speakers from their industry, visitors also had the opportunity to engage in active dialogue with the experts.

How was the networking opportunity received?

The participants used its diverse features to enjoy a lively exchange on all four days of the trade fair. There were over 80,000 chat conversations and audio/video calls in total. More than 10,000 leads were generated during the event, which amounts to more than one lead per minute. The international offering put forward by the exhibitors thus converged with the international demand from the visitors again this year.

Which exhibitors took part in the online event?

interzum is a trade fair known for its world premieres – it is where a large number of exhibitors present their innovations to an international specialist audience for the first time. This year, they moved their product presentations into the digital space as effectively as possible and made the most of the reach offered by this format. 142 companies from 24 countries presented their latest solutions and product innovations at interzum @home. With this line-up of exhibitors, this year’s digital edition of the trade fair was very international. We are particularly pleased that so many of the industry’s global key players were involved. However, the success of interzum also depends on the participation of smaller companies, which often have exciting products to showcase. And it is precisely this mix of exhibitors that once again defined the spirit of the leading international trade fair in 2021.

How did you attract the exhibitors’ relevant target groups?

The unique breadth and depth of the diverse programme offered by the various stages at interzum @home was very well received. No fewer than 230 digital events with a total of 4,240 minutes of content were hosted, attracting around 100,000 visits from 132 countries. Of course, the exhibitors’ showrooms, where all the important product innovations were presented, were also a highlight. To reach out to the target group, we also made use of our Koelnmesse network of interior design-themed trade fairs – imm cologne , ORGATEC and LivingKitchen – as well as spoga+gafa and Kind + Jugend . The exhibitors at these trade fairs are traditionally also the visitors to interzum. Such a strong selection of trade fairs aligned all along the value chain is unique in the global trade fair landscape.

What impact do you think the virtual event will have on interzum?

Digital reach will be used as a new, additional success criterion for all our trade fairs going forward. However, a digital trade fair cannot replace an in-person interzum event in Cologne. In our view, the trade fair concept of the future will be a hybrid format. At interzum 2023, digital components will represent a logical extension to physical presence in the trade fair halls. In the future, the focus will be on knowledge and content in the online space, and on experiences and socialising at the venue, but always with fluid crossovers between the two – with networking remaining a vital connecting element, which is possible both online and offline, and which will always be important.

interzum @home 2021 drew to a close on 7 May with excellent overall results. For four days, the online platform gave new impulses to the industry. Global megatrends such as digitalisation, individualisation, mobility and urbanisation were reflected, not only in the presentations by the exhibiting companies but also in the supporting program. The focus this year was on sustainability.

At the heart of the event from the outset were networking, knowledge exchanges, high-quality content and product innovations. With 142 participating companies from 24 countries this year’s digital edition of interzum was very international. One of the new platform’s key elements was networking opportunities, and the participants used its diverse features for a lively exchange on all four days of the trade fair. There were over 80,000 chat conversations and audio/video calls in total. During the 5,760 minutes more than 10,000 leads were generated, which amounts to more than one lead per minute.

"The last few days have shown how creatively the industry approaches new challenges", says Oliver Frese, COO of Koelnmesse. "It has been a tremendous experience. But for me, it was also an impressive demonstration of the relevance and attractiveness of the interzum brand on the international stage." No less than 230 digital events with a total of 4,240 minutes of content were hosted at interzum @home , attracting about 100,000 visits from 132 countries.

"It was an exciting event for everyone and a huge learning curve," says Katrin de Louw, who organized the Trend Stage with her agency Trendfilter. "Judging by the current situation, where we sit at home in our home offices, I was happy to meet business friends anyway." Both the Trend Stage and other digital stages offered numerous lectures, presentations and workshops to encourage knowledge transfer.

In interzum @home , Koelnmesse has created an innovative format through which the exhibiting companies were able to demonstrate the state of the art in the industry. On the whole, exhibitors agreed that a digital trade fair cannot replace an in-person interzum event in Cologne. "Like many other trade fairs, we have however seen that face-to-face contact is immensely important, which is why I view interzum @home 2021 as a successful case study for interzum’s future hybrid orientation", says Oliver Frese, COO of Koelnmesse. "I am firmly convinced that interzum 2023 will naturally have a strong physical presence here in Cologne, but its attractive digital offerings will make it even more valuable for all participants."

interzum @home continues to pursue the traditional task of the renowned live event interzum as a trendsetter for living and interior design. The focus of the product premieres and trend lectures was especially on the megatrends of health, neo-ecology, connectivity, urbanization or "New Work“. They are reflected in developments that will enrich the furniture industry and interiors in subsequent years.

Among other things, the current debates about more climate protection were echoed in many of the exhibitors' presentations. For example, it was about wood as a renewable furniture material, such as a digital round table from the wood-based materials manufacturer Sonae Arauco or the innovations from Fritz Becker. The molded wood specialist showed ten prototypes by internationally renowned designers - all from sustainable forestry in Germany. A “Plant-for-the-Planet” campaign was presented on the Vauth Sagel platform and the points earned by the visitors were rewarded with tree planting for the project. Recycling also played an important role. Salgareda from Italy presented an environmentally friendly laminate for furniture and interiors that is made from 100 percent recycled polypropylene. The new "Raukantex eco" edgebands from Rehau also consist of 50 percent recycled material. For their production, non-fossil raw materials from waste and residual materials are used.

Another topic at interzum @home was, of course, the consequences of the Corona pandemic. Many exhibitors dealt with the new challenges to the design of our living and working environment and presented corresponding solutions. The main focus here is on better hygiene and infection protection. "Safety first" was the motto of Austrian foil supplier Senosan, for example, which presented an antibacterial coating for furniture foils. The presentation by Hueck Folienrevolved around antiviral furniture surfaces. The Italian lighting brand Artemide showed how light can effectively combat bacteria, fungi and mold.

One consequence of the pandemic is also the increasing fusion of living and working. Among the material premieres at the fair, there were therefore many solutions for hybrid living and flexible furnishing. Hardware specialist Hettich, for example, presented a drawer platform that is creatively combined with other furniture systems. The platform idea is also at the forefront of Julius Blum's innovative box system, which was developed for greater design freedom. This is also represented by the height-adjustable JobTisch workstation from Häfele, which is offered in various model sizes, with 78 colour combinations and different surfaces. The Nimbus Group presented a comprehensive light-acoustic solution with a pendant luminaire whose underside consists of acoustically effective molded fleece. Italian hardware manufacturer Formenti & Giovenzana (FGV) presented a concealed guide rail and an integrated Soft-Close hinge to make furniture functionality more versatile.

A trend towards a more sustainable and decelerated way of life has been emerging for some time. "How do we want to live tomorrow?" was the question asked by decor specialist Schattdecor at its presentation at interzum @home. Among other things, the company presented a new Caravan Selection for the US and European markets, because the motor home has become a symbol of closeness to nature and deceleration. The Impress Group asked its visitors to pause and imagine that everyone follows their natural rhythm. All about the sensual experience was the presentation of new surface materials with soft haptics or a natural look, such as "skai VyP Lana" by Continental or "VIS" by the Italian exhibitor Arpa Industriale.

To create new elements of furnishings and even entire houses, 3D printing is playing an increasingly important role. This became clear, among other things, in the presentation by exhibitor Unilin, which has a comprehensive patent portfolio for digitally printed structures on decorative panels. With the digital presentation of the first printed residential house in Germany, the company Peri demonstrated the market maturity of the technology at interzum @home . The advantages of 3D concrete printing for the building industry were also pointed out in the presentation by Prof. Dr. Harald Kloft, who heads the Institute for Structural Design (ITE) at the Technical University of Braunschweig. In his view, we are at the beginning of a new era here.

Once again, interzum demonstrated the transformation of global trends to the innovations of the supplier industry. Industry actors from the furniture industry and interior design took new ideas, important inspirations and exciting product solutions "home" with them.

Traditionally, a powerful innovation dynamic is linked with interzum . At the trade fair, both market leader companies and small idea factories show new technologies, materials and surfaces for interior design. In addition to the newest technologies of the industry, future trends also become visible here. This is because the product innovations directly influence developments in furniture design and interior architecture.

This year, many things are different, but no less exciting. For architects, interior designers, and other creatives, the digital platform interzum @home offers a wide range of inspirations. In addition to all kinds of exciting themes and supporting programme points, everything revolves around the product innovations of more than 140 participating companies from 24 countries. On the digital Product Stages , each visitor receives insights into the latest trends, developments and offers of the exhibitors. This stage lives from the 130 compact, short presentations provided directly by the manufacturers themselves. In this way, visitors enter into an exchange with exhibitors and can have their questions answered directly by the pros in the simultaneous chat – or visit the Showrooms of exhibitors afterwards.

The three interzum stages, Green Smart Materials , interzum Trend Stage and Mattress Recycling invite an exchange of knowledge in specialist lectures and workshops. Here, the topics include innovative materials and new color trends for interior design or 3D-printed architecture. The effects of the Corona pandemic on furnishings play a role in the program, as do smart furniture or new solutions for green building and living. However, visitors can not only experience the key speakers from their industry digitally, but also enter into an active dialogue with the speakers with the possibility for interaction in the chat.

The exhibitors' product innovations are particularly stimulating for professionals from the interior sector. A selection of the best innovations for furniture design and interior design is offered by the interzum award: intelligent material & design , which was presented for the eleventh time this year. The products honored as Best of the Best , such as an energy-saving lighting system or natural material alternatives, revolve primarily around the theme of sustainability. Overall, the new products presented at interzum @home show a broad spectrum of technical innovations, advanced materials and product innovations.

In cooperation with interzum @home , the materials.cologne platform and conference for design and innovation focuses on materials and sustainability. Specialist lectures by international experts on materials-related topics and several so-called master classes reach out to an audience consisting primarily of designers, architects, interior designers and decision makers from innovative companies. The focus topic for 2021 is materials and sustainability. The masterclasses allow participants to make direct contact with the speakers on Zoom, to discuss working examples, solve problems together and expand their networks. The masterclasses are deep dives on the conference’s short talk formats with an emphasis on continuing professional development.

You are not yet registered for interzum @home? Click here to go to the Ticket Shop .

As managing director of Phoenix Design, Joon-Mo Lee heads one of the most renowned design studios in Germany. At interzum @home on May 5, he will give a lecture on the changing concept of home. Under the title Wellbeing: Home beyond comfort, he will show on the digital Trend Stage how we can overcome our own comfort zone and open ourselves to sustainable innovations. We spoke to him about the content of his lecture and the impact of the Corona pandemic on the home.

In your lecture you will talk about wellbeing – what can design contribute to this?

How our futures will be lived amidst physical, digital and experiential products all depends on designers. Their intention decides whether realities will be populated with far-sighted products that actually lead to richer lives, or whether resources are spent to create just ‘more stuff’ exclusively designed to generate revenue, and possibly unknown risks down the road. Design for wellbeing means committing industrial efforts to putting people first. The critical contribution that designers make for wellbeing are therefore their candour, courage and tenacity in convincing decision makers to pursue innovations that will literally earn consumer love, not by force of marketing fantasies but sustainable value for people’s realities.

How can wellbeing be measured?

It can’t, the same way you can’t precisely measure concepts such as beauty, dignity or happiness. All these notions are highly subjective, internalised sentiments depending on differing personal perceptions and cultural contexts. However, while not accurate in measuring wellbeing, I do believe data and insights produced through scientific enquiry and design research will indicate conditions and mechanisms that can inspire new products to make people’s existence richer, more dignified and more fulfilling. Ultimately, the effectiveness of such products can be measured, of course: in the number of people attesting reduced suffering and improved lives.

What do you mean by "Home beyond comfort“?

The title ‘home beyond comfort’ plays with two key ideas. On the one hand, I wanted to make clear that we must start understanding the idea of ‘home’ as being more than just a place of comfort. From managing digital lifestyles to supporting their desire for self-realisation, today’s consumers have many other expectations towards what a modern home should do to help them feel well, hence ‘beyond comfort’. On the other hand, the title refers to the idiom ‘outside your comfort zone’. Innovation occurs when we allow ourselves to move beyond the comfort zone of our industrial expertise. For if we don’t, we can’t generate new perspectives, and will simply end up creating more of the same. It’s not expertise that inspires innovation, but courage to leave the confines of what we already know.

What are new requirements for the home especially against the background of the Corona pandemic?

The key thought that the pandemic brought to the fore is definitely the notion of transition. In one sense, transition is about entering and exiting multiple activities in one space. With so many being confined to home, spaces that were intended by planners to fulfil specific functions are now being repurposed. People work at dining tables, craft in their kitchens and exercise in their bedrooms. These situations are often sorry compromises that scream for clever innovations that help transform spaces. And in another sense, transition is about designing experiences that manage the transit between the contaminated outside world and the virus-free-zone of our home. Spaces like entrance halls will become ‘airlocks’ that help us to either prepare for or keep out invisible threats. I can easily imagine a proliferation of domestic innovations ranging from disinfection solutions for hands, clothes and accessories to new ways of meeting delivery services at your door. Homes have always been about protection from evil, and the Corona Pandemic, so it seems, has reinvigorated this narrative.

The digital talk by Joon-Mo Lee will take place on May 5, at 10 a.m., on the Trend Stage .

Directly after the official opening of the new online platform interzum @home , this year's interzum award was presented today. Already for the eleventh time, the award ceremony of the competition organized by Koelnmesse together with Red Dot took place - this year, however, purely digitally due to Corona. The best products of the international supplier industry for furniture and interior design show the way to a more sustainable future.

In total, interzum exhibitors and designers from eleven nations took part in this year's competition. For the first time, sustainability was explicitly included in the assessment criteria according to which awards were given. “By including it in the official criteria catalogue, however, we wanted to send a clear signal that we would like to see more products and materials in the future of the industry that take this aspect into account”, says Professor Dr. Peter Zec, organiser of the interzum award and CEO of Red Dot.

And indeed, many winning products are reflecting this. "Sustainability and the circular economy are the really big themes", says Martin Beeh, designer and member of the jury. Among the “Best of the Best” winners, for example, is the Häfele Linear lens, a lighting system that intelligently bundles the light of an LED strip, enabling it to double its illuminance while maintaining the same dimensions, thus making additional, more energy-intensive light sources superfluous.

There are interesting approaches to a more sustainable product culture, especially in the materials used to make furniture. “Orbis” by The Vita Group is a sustainable polyurethane foam made partly from raw materials derived from recycled foam mattresses. Using “Bloom Technology FENIX NTM and Arpa HPL”, Arpa Industriale reduces the amount of phenol contained in the resin and replaces it with lignin, a natural wood polymer.

At last, Lamello’s “Clamex P-14 Flexus” furniture connector does not only save material as well as offer maximum flexibility in assembly sequences, but also increases design possibilities thanks to its innovative construction. “With the interzum award, we want to set impulses and put innovations in the spotlight,” states Maik Fischer, director of interzum. “The winners of this year’s competition impressively show that the furniture and supplier industry is working towards new and improved solutions saving resources. The idea of a circular economy is becoming increasingly visible, too, showing that our industry is well-positioned to face the future.”

The jury consisting of six experts from the fields of design, material science and architecture honoured a total of 20 submissions with awards: the four mentioned entries received a “Best of the Best” award for outstanding design achievements that set new industry standards in terms of form and function, while sixteen other products and materials received awards for high product quality, honouring special design achievements in form and function.

All award-winning materials and products will be permanently presented on the interzum website.

Designer and materials expert Martin Beeh initiated materials.cologne and acts as its project manager. The conference is a forum for a creative exchange between architects, designers and other pioneering creators. It is a partner of interzum @home and, like the trade fair, will be hosted as a digital-only event this year. We spoke with Martin Beeh about the interactive platform’s formats and its focus topics.

Martin Beeh, what is the idea behind the materials.cologne conference?

It’s already four years since the launch of materials.cologne. I started it with two cooperation partners, the business development agency for the City of Cologne, KölnBusiness Wirtschaftsförderungs-GmbH, and the Cologne Chamber of Commerce and Industry. interzum has been the conference’s partner right from the start. It is a cross-industry platform for designers, architects, interior architects, company decision makers, researchers, scientists and everyone else who is involved in shaping the future. It is always about design, materials and innovation.

What will be the focus topics for the conference this year?

Our focus topic for 2021 is materials and sustainability. The aim is to share knowledge, venture into new territory and connect people and organisations. Because of the pandemic, we are currently focusing on digital formats, but we are looking to establish them in the long term as well. With its programme, the speakers’ complementary fields of work and their recommendations, this year’s materials.cologne is almost the perfect demonstration of the directions in which the furniture industry and its suppliers could evolve. It will provide plenty of material for lively discussions in the live chat and on the video channel.

On 5 and 6 May you are hosting digital masterclasses that explore the conference themes in greater depth. What added benefits do they offer interzum @home attendees?

Our masterclasses allow participants to make direct contact with the speakers on Zoom, to discuss working examples, solve problems together and expand their networks. The masterclasses are deep dives on the conference’s short talk formats with an emphasis on continuing professional development. And as someone who has experienced our speakers in action in quite a few Zoom meetings and seminars, I can say that a direct exchange is highly enjoyable. It is an intellectual pleasure for subject-matter experts and the best kind of continuing professional development. What’s more, we have applied to the Chamber of Architects for the State of North Rhine-Westphalia for the conference to be recognised as CPD for architects and interior architects.

What new opportunities do you see for the online platform interzum @home in terms of reach and opening up new target groups, but also in the context of the general expansion of digital formats?

During the pandemic, digital-only platforms are undoubtedly the ideal solution. They offer a host of great interactive tools and opportunities. Digitalisation makes interaction between people possible across continents and time zones. That is a great bonus. You avoid high travel expenses, and it’s effective and inexpensive. Platforms like these will definitely be able to find other geographical or market niches by developing tailored formats, whether they are purely digital or hybrid. It is this kind of diversity that makes a leading international trade fair like interzum.

You can find more information on the programme and the themes for this year’s materials.cologne on the website of interzum @home .

A conversation with Dr. Sascha Peters on the Green Smart Materials stage at interzum @home , 3D printed buidlings and other green material innovations.

Dr. Sascha Peters, you are responsible for the Stage Green Smart Materials program. Which content-related focal points will play a role?

The innovation process is currently taking place in the field of tension between sustainability and smart material solutions. The world is calling for solutions that, overall, mean that we use our resources more responsibly. In the next few years we will see a change in our product culture towards a circular economy, we are quite sure of that and we will manage it.

Can you give us a few examples of “green” smart materials?

Structural paints for wooden surfaces, antibacterial birch bark, acoustic solutions made of paper pulp or algae pictures that remove fine dust and odors from the air - these are just a few examples of material solutions that are of natural origin and that can fulfill a function that otherwise only with additional materials or coatings would be feasible and usually make the use of chemical substances necessary. We show other solutions and are currently seeing many innovations and innovations that arise at the interface between technology and biology.

Don't "smart" properties also require new manufacturing processes? What interesting approaches do you see here?

In terms of manufacturing processes, we are currently seeing a leap in development in additive processes in construction. The topic and the potential for reducing construction time and costs have been discussed for a long time. Germany's first 3D printed building was realised last October, and more will follow. This not only influences the way architects work, it will also change the interior design, because certain spatial structures can already be anticipated or integrated into walls when a building is being built. We are excited to see what new opportunities will arise over the next few years.

The interzum @home platform is celebrating its premiere this year. What new opportunities do you see with a view to increasing digitization for expanding reach, opening up new target groups, business networking, etc.?

In order to increase the range and, above all, to address target groups in regions of the world that have not yet found their way to Cologne, the interzum @home platform certainly offers added value. But we are also looking forward to physical trade fair events again and hope that the pandemic will soon be a thing of the past. All digital tools cannot replace one thing: a personal conversation!

You can find the full program of the Green Smart Materials stage on the digital platform interzum @home here .

The Corona pandemic has brought the issue of hygiene into focus for interiors. Since then, the demand for antibacterial and antiviral surfaces has increased. But it is not only since Covid19 that manufacturers have been concerned with hygienic solutions for heavily used public and private areas. Because every year, countless people fall ill with viral and bacterial infections. Surfaces and materials that actively prevent the spread of viruses, bacteria and fungi can make an important contribution to preventive infection protection. In addition to hygienic properties, current products for high-touch surfaces also offer new design options.

Sustained protection and design is offered by the use of impress's antibacterial melamine surfaces. 99.9% of bacteria and germs on this surfaces are eliminated within 24 hours and their reproduction is prevented. This makes the products particularly suitable for sensitive areas of application with high hygiene requirements. Examples of this areas, are above all, the kitchen and sanitary rooms or places where people come together, such as in offices, cafés and restaurants. And not to forget risk zones in the health sector, such as reception, waiting rooms or treatment rooms.

Pfleiderer developed microPLUS a few years ago to protect against bacteria and germs. Now, in addition to its antimicrobial effect, the surface technology has also been proven to have an antiviral effect. This creates additional safety and a new design scope for sensitive or heavily frequented interiors. The surface has an antiviral effect on enveloped viruses within 24 hours (test methodology ISO 21702:2019) - including SARS-COV-2. The technology achieves its effective protection against microbes through the additive Sanitized Silver and makes use of the natural antimicrobial and antiviral properties of silver.

Feel Light Grey | Cosmos from Sonae Arauco is a decor-coated panel for high-quality furniture construction with advantages such as cleanability, resistance and antibacterial properties. The natural texture of the matt, three-dimensional melamine finishing in harmony with the authentic decor combines haptic experience and visual appearance. Based on textile felt, which stands for comfort, among other things, the product makes it possible to implement a textile material even in areas where it is not normally used. Feel Light Grey | Cosmos has been awarded the German Design Award 2021.

In order to systematically address the problem of infection protection, Swiss Krono has brought what it claims to be the world's first furniture surface with an antimicrobial effect. The Be.Safe surface has a threefold effect against viruses, bacteria and fungi. The additive used attacks the membranes of viruses, bacteria and fungi and thereby eliminates any pathogens. Since the additive has a physical effect and is integrated in the product, it does not lose its effect and therefore offers permanent protection throughout the entire product life cycle. The antimicrobial product property has been tested, confirmed and certified by.

In cooperation with partners, Schattdecor offers the Impregnated Surfaces product line in an antibacterial and/or antimicrobial version. The hygienic effect is achieved by adding a special additive, which does not alter the basic characteristics of our product nor its quality. The surfaces inhibit the formation and growth of bacteria and harmful microorganisms. They reduce the formation of odors and provide additional hygiene protection. This hygiene effect is particularly suitable for frequently touched surfaces in areas such as in offices, hotels and restaurants or medical areas.

Further innovations in surfaces can be found at interzum @home 2021 , which will be held as an exclusive online event from 4 to 7 May. At the digital Product Stage , every visitor will gain insights into the latest trends, developments and offers in the industry. In addition, the exhibitors' showrooms and lectures in the supporting programme offer an overview of the latest products for hygiene protection.

As a renowned expert in materials, Hannes Bäuerle is giving a talk on antibacterial and antiviral surfaces on the digital Trend Stage at interzum @home . He founded the online materials database raumprobe over 15 years ago, firmly convinced that there is the right material for every creative idea. We spoke with him about the latest developments in materials and surfaces and about the impact that the coronavirus pandemic is having on the industry.

There’s been a sharp rise in enquiries about materials with “anti” properties and searches for such materials. Happily, a whole range of materials with precisely these characteristics has been available for some time now. The latest new developments, which are being heavily searched for due to the pandemic, are also already available. However, what I don’t know is whether the surfaces offered are actually being put into use.

With mixed feelings. One extremely positive development is the increased awareness of “healthy materials” and premium surfaces. On the other hand, at raumprobe we are seeing and hearing that research and development departments in particular were put on reduced working hours, and some of them still are in that situation. That will cause an innovation lag in some markets, and we can’t say for now what kind of impact it will have. The extent to which COVID-19 has driven developments and innovations across hugely different fields of construction materials is something we will see at the latest in 2022, when the submissions for the Material Prize are made. We are already excited to see which companies are reading, interpreting and implementing the signs of the times the most innovatively.

The unique thing about raumprobe is that we took a multipronged approach to communicating and presenting the featured materials and innovations right from the outset. At the heart of raumprobe is a permanent exhibition that allows all the exhibits to be understood and experienced with all the senses. The experiences gained from this and the reviews we collect feed into the online database. With our constantly up-to-date selection, we are now the most comprehensive source for architectural and construction materials. We are currently working intently on expanding what is probably already the most comprehensive collection of environmentally friendly, sustainable and circular materials. And in parallel, we’re launching a materials academy.

Materials are and will remain real! Even if we are currently living in a very digital age, and we’ve learnt a great deal in this area in terms of communication and daily project work, the real exhibit is absolutely essential for a genuine assessment of its quality.

Surfaces with interesting structures, haptics and light effects are generating the greatest demand and lots of interest. Touch is becoming more and more important as a separate assessment criterion, which is probably a reflection of the growing weariness with always working at a monitor and using smooth touchscreens.

Another trend is the constantly growing demand for materials that do not pose any risks to people or the environment. One factor that should actually be self-evident, but sadly still isn’t, will be one of the decisive criteria in the future: whether a material is a sustainable success. A much more sophisticated awareness of these issues can be seen among the younger generation especially.

The lecture by Hannes Bäuerle on "ANTI*Material: ANTIbacterial and ANTIviral Surfaces" will take place on 4 May 2021, at 3 pm, on the digital Trend Stage .

With the new platform interzum @home , the May 2021 edition of the international trade fair will mark its debut as a fully fledged digital event. As with the established physical event, the online trade fair matrix will be enriched by exciting special events. Alongside three attractive digital stages and the materials.cologne conference, the accompanying events include the Product Stages and the interzum awards. Together, these formats will generate international attention for exhibitors and trade fair participants.

The digital stages for the exhibitors, known as the Product Stages , will focus on presenting innovations and sharing insights between exhibitors and trade visitors of interzum @home . Here suppliers to the furniture production and interior construction industry can choose the issues that they want to communicate to their target sectors: new products, best practices, R&D or other important topics for the particular company.

The numbers of participants at the Product Stages are unlimited, and the presentations on the stages will be available to interested viewers on demand for an extended period. The segments provide participants with 20 minutes for content streaming accompanied by session-based chats. They will then be available to view as video on demand.

The interzum award: intelligent material & design for innovative products, a long-established, highly acclaimed accolade, will also celebrate its virtual premiere this year: The submission of products by suppliers to the furniture and interior construction industry, the jury’s deliberations and the presentation of the prizes will all take place digitally. The prize-giving ceremony will be streamed on the Trend Stage following the opening of the interzum @home .

The interzum award is open to interzum @home participants exclusively. For many years, the prize-winners have used the award as a powerful statement and a means to positively differentiate themselves from the competition in terms of quality in marketing and sales, but also in many other areas beyond these fields. In this way, the presentation of the awards and the other accompanying events support the core goals of the leading trade fair: successfully showcasing innovative ideas to a trade audience, bringing the entire industry together every two years, and forging excellent and lasting commercial relationships.

What are the hot topics in the furniture industry? What surprising innovations do the supplier companies have in store? And above all, what lies ahead – what business deals, what needs and what environment should the industry anticipate in the future? The digital event programme at the virtual interzum @home seeks to answer these questions on its various stages. Experience trends digitally and live – that’s what the on-demand content in the 30 specialist talks and workshops from eleven countries is all about. After all, it is not business alone that takes absolute priority – the “food for thought” offered to stimulate the future entrepreneurial success of the industry is also important when it comes to the success of the digital edition of interzum .

Katrin de Louw (Trendfilter) will curate the Trend Stage – the top platform for all design-relevant trends affecting furniture design and interiors in the next five years. Social trends have just as important a role to play as new technical possibilities when it comes to driving market developments. In addition, this virtual stage will showcase everything relating to materials, surface and colour trends, environmentally friendly and sustainable products as well as concepts for the interior design of tomorrow and beyond.

On the Green Smart Materials digital stage, the future-oriented agency Haute Innovation, founded by Dr. Sascha Peters, will present sustainable materials innovations and smart technologies with great potential for the industry – such as textured paints for wooden surfaces, 3D-printed wooden windows or street furniture that can remove fine particulates from the air. Many aspects of the transformation of the consumerist culture into a circular economy will also be examined. A total of 32 lectures are planned, and 30 speakers from ten countries – including Finland, Israel, Mexico, Singapore and Vietnam – will provide the latest insights.

With growing public awareness of sustainability, the circular economy and carbon footprints, the reuse and recycling of worn-out mattresses is also gaining in importance and is therefore the focus of the Mattress Recycling stage curated by publishers Ferdinand Holzmann Verlag. The network centred on the “Möbelfertigung” trade journal for the furniture production sector is bringing the mattress industry’s big names to the digital stage. The stage will also be supported by a host of international industry associations. All audience members can expect an exciting mix of lectures and panel discussions.

The primary focus of the materials.cologne platform and conference for design and innovation will be on materials and sustainability. In cooperation with interzum @home , the event’s founder Martin Beeh aims to use specialist lectures by international experts on materials-related topics and several so-called master classes to reach out to an audience of, above all, designers, architects, interior architects and decision makers from innovative companies. “To mark the interzum supplier fair’s debut as a purely digital trade fair format, we will broadcast a brief daily summary of the highlights of the lectures and master classes online at materials.cologne.TV,” says materials scientist and designer Beeh, describing a new, additional feature of the conference.

An initial overview of the exciting event programme is available online

Katrin de Louw is curating the Trend Stage for the new digital platform interzum @home with her agency, Trendfilter. The Trend Stage provides more than just an overview of the globally most important issues for tomorrow’s interior design. It also sheds light on aspects relevant to manufacturing for the industry. We spoke with Katrin de Louw about the focus topics for the programme and the new requirements for furniture and interior design in the coronavirus era.

Ms de Louw, you are curating the programme of talks for the Trend Stage. What pioneering ideas and developments will the programme focus on in particular?

We’re delighted to be able to start on 4 May with the winners of this year’s interzum award . That will be followed by a diverse programme covering a wide range of topics and offering something for everyone. Themes such as digitalisation, sustainability, the social change triggered by megatrends and international design trends will play an important role, but new practice-oriented products for manufacturers and interior designers will also feature prominently. We will shed light on global colour and materials trends from both the scientific standpoint of trend research and the perspective of application in practice.

What other future issues will the Trend Stage cover?

The latest environmentally friendly products for furniture and interiors will play an important part in the programme: Recycled coatings, vegan wood-based materials and the prospects for recycling wood-based materials and furniture – the keyword here is cradle to cradle. We will present applications for generative design, or computer-generated design. In addition, we will outline ideas for how furniture manufacturers can generate added value from the hybrid commercialisation of their products, for instance by offering furniture rentals. But we will also address the new expectations within the furniture retail trade for manufacturers. All this will be accompanied by talks on practical applications, such as smart furniture as a form of social design and visions of tomorrow’s interior design from acclaimed international design studios.

How will you address the current situation of the coronavirus pandemic?

Among other things, my own talk will examine the general changes that the coronavirus outbreak has triggered in interiors and furniture design. Antibacterial and antiviral surfaces are currently playing an important role. In most cases, this involves giving existing products an additional coating that can reduce the viruses for a specified amount of time or even eliminate them. We expect to see some new developments here in the coming months.

How do you see the pandemic as a driver of innovation in materials and design?

It’s true that the coronavirus outbreak has put a sudden brake on many things, but it has also speeded things up. It hasn’t stopped globalisation – on the contrary, we have seen that what happens in the world concerns all of us. But it still has been as if someone pressed the pause button. In the field of digitalisation and New Work by contrast, the pandemic has made a breathtaking speed possible. The developments it has enabled would have otherwise taken many years. And then there are new trends such as the growth of sport at home. Trends like these are only just emerging, but they have already reached their zenith with the pandemic because many people are looking forward to going back to the gym or the swimming pool when it is over.

The home office and home schooling have expanded the functions of the home. On the other hand, the need to plan small homes is growing due to rising housing costs. What solutions do you see for this need?

Incorporating multifunctionality into furniture and interior design on the one hand and individualisation by optimising interior construction on the other requires both the industry and the retail trade to rethink their approaches fundamentally. Furniture should be conceived, designed and sold to function across a range of rooms so that the wardrobe and the coat stand, for instance, can be combined in one object in a tiny space. Storage solutions also need to be improved, for example, by integrating them into the sofa or the table.

Urbanisation and gentrification, but also the ageing of society are processes that are having a direct impact on home living. What pioneering approaches are you currently seeing for living together in limited, age-friendly and functionally optimised spaces?

I think this is first and foremost a social issue: The coronavirus pandemic has shown that we have to stick together. Many people are lonely. In pioneering urban neighbourhoods, you can find a community that includes all the key forms of provision. At the same time, it provides “third places” where people can meet up, have fun, perhaps grow vegetables together, rear animals or cook collectively, barbecue and spend time in nature. Demographic changes mean that these kinds of collective and cross-generational ideas for living communities that are able to extend across entire urban neighbourhoods are taking on an extremely important role. This naturally has an enormous impact on individuals’ personal space and how they furnish their homes.

Exciting talks are still wanted for the interzum @home Trend Stage. Please send your proposed topics as soon as possible to Katrin de Louw with interzum @home Trend Stage in the subject line.

Participants at interzum @home 2021 can now submit their technical innovations, state-of-the art materials and exciting product innovations for the interzum award: intelligent material & design 2021 . The global furniture supply industry is invited to face the worldwide comparison until 12 April 2021. The competition is organised for the 11th time by Koelnmesse in cooperation with Red Dot. A jury will decide on the best design achievements in the categories Function & Components, Materials & Nature and Textile & Machinery.

“The competition underlines the importance of design as a value-added factor. Our award winners successfully use the label to set themselves apart from their competitors in the broader market,” says Maik Fischer, Director interzum. Prof. Dr. Peter Zec, founder and CEO of Red Dot, adds: “In these difficult economic times, it is all the more important to confidently communicate your own achievements. An interzum award shows that a company is an innovation driver in the industry.”

The interzum award: intelligent material & design is aimed exclusively at participants of the new business network interzum @home 2021 . They can enter their innovations and detailed solutions in the competition immediately and free of charge, submitting one or more products. This year, submissions will only be accepted digitally.

Function & Components
Lamps and (digital) lighting systems, semi-finished products for cabinet, kitchen, office and modular furniture, fittings, (digital) locks, built-in parts, hinges, connectors, etc.

Materials & Nature
Wood, veneers, parquet flooring, interior works, decorative surfaces, decor papers, laminates, wood-based panels, laminated plastic, mineral materials, edges, surface treatments, embossing cylinders, sheet metals, natural materials, press plates, etc.

Textile & Machinery
Machines for manufacturing upholstery and mattresses, upholstery materials, upholstery accessories, cover fabrics, leather, adhesives, temperature and humidity sensors for mattresses, smart textiles (light conducting or similar), etc.

A jury evaluates all competition entries with regard to their design quality, their innovative potential and aspects such as sustainability or a meaningful integration of digital components. A total of six jurors will jointly decide on the submissions after testing and discussing them. Together they will award the prize for High Product Quality and recognise outstanding achievements that set new standards as Best of the Best.

Application for interzum award

The supplier industry thrives on creativity and personal contacts. However, the pandemic situation does not allow for a promising international presence event in May 2021 either. Therefore interzum developed a comprehensive online event concept. “In 2021, we’ll again be offering suppliers to the furniture industry and interior design sector their global stage, with an digital offering,” says Matthias Pollmann, Vice President Trade Fair Management at Koelnmesse. Current trends, the latest product innovations, exciting lectures, the opportunity for professional exchange: all this is offered by the new platform interzum @home from 4-7 May.

"We’re offering every company the option of digital participation on our new interzum @home platform,” explains interzum director Maik Fischer. Various digital-only packages will be available for the purpose, allowing companies to participate on the platform - a presence that’s a perfect fit with their needs. A wide array of exciting formats will create an innovative trade fair experience. The platform will network exhibitors with decision-makers from the industry and give them an insight into all the latest topics in the sector.

The goal of interzum @home is to use the new digital channel to increase overall reach. The components of this platform, which can certainly be considered state of the art, provide various possibilities for interaction, including digital showrooms, stages, workshops and cafés. Even in the face of the corona pandemic, this ensures interzum will reach a global audience. Broadly speaking, the main emphasis of interzum @home is on knowledge and content, the experience and socialising, like at the event in Cologne – but obviously always with fluid crossovers and connections.

"With interzum @home , Koelnmesse is offering us an ideal bridge to interzum 2023 in these extraordinary times. We from the industry very much welcome that", says Dr. Andreas Hettich, chairman of the interzum advisory board. "The digital platform enables us to present our products and innovations to a wide audience and thus achieve maximum reach, even if it certainly cannot replace a presence trade fair." With Hettich, Blum, Häfele and Vauth-Sagel, the first market leaders announced that they would be digitally presenting their innovations on the new business platform.

Developing new international contacts is just as important as maintaining contacts with existing customers. " interzum @home lives very much from and for networking: the exhibitors and visitors have the opportunity, for example, to find exactly the right person for their personal business among all participants," says Maik Fischer, Director of interzum . "Using the visual Discovery Graph, relevant contacts and companies can be found easily, entertainingly and interactively - either via the networks, personal contacts or by matching with the specified interests."

In the next few weeks, the trade fair team will, among other things, hold webinars with live demonstrations for various markets in order to present the functionalities and possibilities of the digital platform. In addition, the interzum website offers a wide range of information about interzum @home . The trade fair team would like to support all participating companies in the implementation of an optimal presentation in the best possible way.

Leather made from apple cores and peel, 3D-printed architectural components made from cellulose and structural colours for wooden surfaces – today innovations in materials and their processing are emerging between the opposing poles of digitalisation and sustainability. The Berlin materials expert Dr Sascha Peters is examining the latest innovations in this field for interzum 2021 .

We live in an increasingly digitalised society: Digital systems are transforming the development, production and distribution of products. This is also having an impact on furniture and interior design. On the other side of the coin, we can expect to see a shift in our product culture towards a circular economy over the next few years. With initiatives such as Fridays for Future, this transition has reached a new high point that goes beyond the political sphere. There is also a growing desire among designers and architects to move towards a functioning circular economy. Demand for products and processes with lower CO2 emissions is rising because the climate crisis is evolving into a threat to our prosperity.

Companies stand to benefit from this development – if they are able to combine the need for a sustainable product culture with digitalisation’s potential. To do so, they need to position suitable offerings on the market. In some sectors, this change is already proving to be disruptive. This applies especially to production methods in which conventional processes are being supplemented or combined with additive manufacturing or even replaced by it. “Here a host of new developments with the potential to replace existing material applications have been presented over the last few months,” says Dr Sascha Peters.

Incredible developments have been achieved in the field of materials in recent years. For instance, agricultural waste products are being processed to produce leather alternatives. Apple cores and peel can be turned into the material for vegan sneakers or upholstered furniture. Singapore University of Technology and Design(SUTD) has unveiled a robot-based manufacturing process for producing high-strength architectural structures made exclusively from cellulose and chitin. Researchers at Aalto University in Helsinki have developed a technology that gives wooden surfaces so-called structural colours, which give the material colour without pigments.

Materials with sustainable characteristics are set to play an increasingly important role. They will be complemented with digital and integrated functionalities that will enable them to increase resource efficiency in furniture production, design and architecture enormously. Sustainability and digitalisation thus define the possibility space for pioneering innovations. Starting from these developments, Dr Sascha Peters is examining some of the latest material innovations and smart technologies for interzum 2021 . His Berlin-based trend forecasting agency Haute Innovation researches green smart materials across the world. Based on the agency’s previous presentations, its findings promise to be extremely exciting.

Looking into the future is not easy – and even more so when a pandemic is turning life upside down. It therefore remains to be seen whether the coronavirus crisis will have a lasting influence on home living. But it is already clear that existing developments in interior design have been strengthened and new issues have moved into focus. They are enhancing trends that have been transforming how we live for some time, such as increasing urbanisation, demographic change and digitalisation.

Interiors and furniture change with social developments. Due to the current situation, many people are currently spending more time than usual in their own homes or apartments. They are starting to see their homes differently as a result. Working from a home office is also changing many people’s perspective on their personal environment, prompting them to rethink their interior decor or add new functions. Manufacturers of furniture and furniture accessories were already addressing these kinds of changes in our living environments before the coronavirus outbreak: They have developed new solutions for the general reduction in living space and the increasing connection between home life and work life. With the pandemic, these themes have assumed a new and growing significance.

Flexibility is an important keyword in new forms of home living. With the rise of the home office and homeschooling, many houses and apartments are taking on new functions. But the kitchen table has its limitations as a workspace. Interior design that adapts to the available space and different situations is needed more than ever before. If living and working areas cannot be separated due to space shortages, multifunctional or modular furniture and furniture systems offer intelligent solutions. These space-saving, practical concepts meet both functional needs and the desire for a place that feels like home.

Health and hygiene are trending because of the current situation. These issues also concern the interior design of public and private spaces. Easy-clean surfaces such as furniture decors with antibacterial properties help with infection prevention. Recently launched products are extremely elastic and flexible, which extends their potential applications. Innovative synthetic coverings for upholstered furniture are dirt-resistant. They can be cleaned without leaving any residue and withstand treatment with disinfectants. Handleless furniture fronts can be quickly and thoroughly cleaned. In these designs, push-to-open mechanisms make opening and closing flaps, doors and pull-outs easier. Recently introduced electromechanical opening systems are especially convenient to use.

Speaking of technology, the technical equipment of interior spaces has also gained a new significance due to the coronavirus outbreak. Electric height-adjustable desks and furniture surfaces with charging technology are just some of the possibilities for enhancing convenience in the home office. Good lighting promotes personal well-being, especially during the darkest time of the year. Light can foster concentration or aid relaxation. But it can also play an active role in health protection: UV LEDs can sterilize surfaces when the light is applied directly to them. They can supplement everyday lighting or be fitted in existing luminaires.

As uncertainty intensifies, so too does the need to create one’s own place of retreat. Designers and manufacturers were addressing the individualisation of interior design even before the coronavirus crisis began. Innovative materials and digital processes such as 3D printing now make individual product design possible even within a product range. This has the potential to assist with the development of alternative formats in areas where the pandemic has forced companies to abandon established practices. In this way, the crisis simultaneously provides an opportunity for creativity and new solutions.

On 26th September a symposium on new developments and products will take place in Detmold. The program includes lectures from science and research as well as applications.

In light of discussions about avoiding CO2 emissions, the trend towards lightweight construction continues. As a partner, interzum therefore supports the symposium in Detmold in the planning and realisation.

In twelve lectures the symposium will highlight forward-looking developments. Divided into three thematic blocks, well-known speakers will discuss groundbreaking topics under the categories digitalization, sustainability and innovation. Current research results are just as much a focus as new products and production techniques.

The symposium begins with a keynote address on the future of digitization in lightweight construction. In addition to the question of what role Virtual Reality can play for the furniture industry, the first lecture block also deals with data-based production methods. The lecture block Sustainability introduces new products such as the flexible Aerowood panel and other sustainable solutions. The fact that the developments of lightweight construction are far from finished will be shown in the Innovation theme block.

In addition to networking, there is also the opportunity to visit an accompanying exhibition with lightweight construction products between the lecture blocks. A "hot chair" gives visitors the opportunity to ask questions to the speakers. The program will be rounded off with an evening event.

The symposium will be held in German at the location of Jowat SE in Detmold. Further information can be found on the website of the Interessengemeinschaft Leichtbau e.V.

With an expanded special event area, the upcoming interzum shows innovative solutions for digital printing. This technology is able to offer solutions in interior design quickly, to a high quality and at low cost. Thanks to the ability to create printed images dynamically, surfaces can be custom-designed so as to be one of a kind. That makes digital printing perfectly suited for industrial make-to-order production and one-off items.

interzum will therefore be continuing to focus on the subject of digital printing in 2021 as part of its role as a source of inspiration and a platform for innovation. Following its debut in 2019, interzum plans to give this technology much more space at the trade fair with its special Digital Printing trend showcase event. Once again, exhibitors will have the opportunity to present their innovative product solutions in the field of digital printing to an interested trade audience in the context of the trend showcase.

The trend showcase will focus on the various potential applications and the diversity of modern digital printing: on demand or customised, for use in direct printing or via image carriers. It will seek to respond to every unanswered question from furniture manufacturers, designers, interiors experts and architects – whether on the subject of advantages and risks, technological and design challenges, printable materials or technical implementations.

The trend case will demonstrate the possibilities offered by digital printing to trade visitors and enable them to make direct business contacts with the appropriate suppliers. interzum is extending an invitation to all companies that offer components, services, machines or unusual applications in the field of digital printing to participate in this key event as exhibitors.

It’s the explicit goal of the showcase to present this value chain in a self-contained yet diverse format and to offer visitors a one-stop-shop that can serve all needs and circumstances. The special exhibition area will be located in the Materials & Nature segment, which will also be the place to discover the latest developments being premiered at interzum 2021 by a host of surface specialists.

As a platform for innovation the interzum is partner of the Green Product Award. The cool bird phase for submissions ends on 15 November 2019.

The international Green Product Award offers a platform for established companies, start-ups and students who design products and services which distinguish from common products in terms of design, innovation and sustainability. Since 2013, participants from 41 countries have applied for the award. The awards are given in 13 categories separately for companies and start-ups. In addition, the Green Concept Award is dedicated to the concepts that lead to a green future.

For the seventh time green products and concepts can be submitted to the international Green Product Award. This year, manufacturers, design studios and agencies are invited to submit their solutions within our new theme "Future Village". The award submissions fill the sustainable house of the future, where eco-friendly living and working is made tangible - in the categories architecture, bathroom, electronics, fashion, children, consumer goods, kitchen, material, mobility, outdoor, office, living & freestyle.

interzum is partner of the Green Product Award. Among the former winners were also exhibitors of the international trade fair such as the company Organoid Technologies, which produces wallpaper made of natural materials such as alpine meadow flowers.

The current cool bird phase ends on 15 November 2019, after this the fees increase. The regular bird phase ends on 10 January 2020. In March, the winners and nominees (Selection) on the IHM's Green Campus will be presented.

Registration and submission here .

The next interzum, the world's leading trade fair for furniture production and interior design, will take place from 4 to 7 May 2021 on the fair grounds in Cologne. Thus, exhibitors can already apply now for both interzum 2021 and for interzum 2023, which takes place from 9 to 12 May 2023. This increases planning certainty for all exhibitors, significantly accelerates trade fair planning and thus provides exhibitors with more time for the long term planning of their exhibition participation.

Like in 2019, halls 3 to 11 are at the ready for interzum. These will be supplemented by the modern exhibition hall 1 Plus, which will come into operation shortly before. It expands the intensively in demand "Materials & Nature" exhibition area and enables site planning that is on the whole optimised.

Even more improvements are in progress: The end of the 1st early bird for interzum 2021 is delayed by one month and thus ends on 15 June 2020. This will also help accelerate planning processes, so that interzum exhibitors will have concrete stand offers in their hands much earlier and can prepare accordingly over the longer term.

Application for interzum 2021 and interzum 2023 takes place exclusively online for the first time. Koelnmesse has provided corresponding links at www.interzum.com

Strong interest for the upcoming interzum. The leading trade fair is meeting new challenges with a variety of measures. The forthcoming edition of interzum is benefiting from these developments in multiple ways: The lack of opportunities for business partners to meet in person in recent months means that these face-to-face exchanges are now immensely important. Focused showcases of innovative product developments strengthen established global marketplaces, and recent trends are resulting in new priorities for industry exhibitions and changing traditional trade fair profiles.

When the leading international trade fair for suppliers to the furniture and interior design industry opens its doors from 4th to 7th May 2021, the industry will meet again in Cologne. “All the companies among our exhibitor clientele can hardly wait for the forthcoming event” says interzum Director Maik Fischer. Even at this early stage, eleven months before the leading trade fair opens its doors, the interzum team is already registering excellent demand and large numbers of bookings – ranging from familiar names from previous events to smart newcomers and start-ups right through to major industry players.

interzum is poised to shape international interior design as it has done in previous years. It is able to do so largely thanks to its successful trade fair concept, which the interzum team is constantly fine-tuning. Alongside the interzum award, which already has a high profile, the next event has some surprises in store, including trend forums and trend cases. While these new concepts are still abstract for the time being, the organisers will soon reveal more.

From a strategic perspective, the trade fair team is also expanding interzum’s digital offerings. The now clearly identifiable boost for global digitalisation resulting from the coronavirus lockdown calls for trade fair organisers to present intelligent answers to the question of how we are to face the emerging new reality. The spectrum of the initial solutions for interzum 2021 ranges from smart marketing measures to IT-supported activities in the run-up to the event and following the trade fair.

The well-being of all exhibitors and visitors is naturally the highest priority in all of interzum’s considerations. The detailed package of measures encompasses appropriate hygiene and allows for distance between all those involved. The trade fair organiser also considers itself well prepared for the stringent requirements for processes at the entrances, in the trade fair halls and at the stands. “We have every confidence that our exhibitors and visitors will behave professionally. We will register all participants fully and make use of the flexibility and size of our trade fair grounds and the opportunities that our digital signage offers,” says Maik Fischer.

As of now, all the major industry players that appeared at the previous event have confirmed their attendance in 2021 with binding bookings. In addition, many small and medium-sized enterprises and some newcomers have already made bookings. The organisers especially welcome the returners who are favouring the world’s central marketplace for suppliers in Cologne again. Among them is the Finsa Group, which operates globally in the particleboard and MDF sector. More than half of the planned exhibition grounds at interzum has already been booked with confirmed reservations. Judging by current indications, the forthcoming trade fair is set to be an excellent industry event that builds directly on the success of the interzum in 2019.

materials.cologne will take place on October 22nd and 23rd in Cologne. The conference for design and innovation is supported by interzum and ZOW.

The interdisciplinary event materials.cologne will be held in the Chamber of Industry and Commerce in Cologne. The two-day conference offers an innovation platform for design, technology and business. It is aimed at designers, architects and interior designers, creative people from the worlds of business, science and politics. This years focus will be on materials and digitalisation.

A specialist seminar will take place on the first day of materials.cologne. Speakers are renowned experts from design, architecture, universities and business. In the evening there is the opportunity to get together in the restaurant of the Museum Ludwig. The workshop course on the second day also offers new project impulses. Working together according to the Makeathon principle, material innovations will be discovered and new products, objects, rooms will be developed.

The conference can be attended on one or both days. Members of numerous industry and professional associations receive discounts for participating in materials.cologne. Application for further training for architects by the Chamber of Architects in North Rhine-Westphalia has been applied for.

Interested parties receive further information here or can register directly here .

Asia's largest trade fair for furniture production and interior decoration took place in Guangzhou in southern China from 27 to 30 July. interzum guangzhou marked the first major platform for the international furniture manufacturing and supply sector in the second half of the year. The response to the event was correspondingly large, with more than 800 exhibitors from 16 countries and around 100,000 visitors. The feedback from exhibitors and vistors on the event as a whole was consistently very positive.

“In the current situation, the most important thing is for our customers to feel comfortable and safe at our events”, Keith Tsui, Managing Director of the Chinese Koelnmesse subsidiary, explained. “As event professionals, we see ourselves in a position to create conditions that are conducive to trade fairs, even in times such as these.” On the third day of the event, a record number of visitors was even achieved compared to previous events: “This shows that our visitors felt safe and enjoyed spending several days and more time at our show,” says Tsui.

The response from exhibitors was also very good. “So, I am quite impressed with the quantity of exhibitors and people”, said Dr. Rajat Agarwal, Corporate Vice President of Henkel in China. “We also see that the exhibition overall is extremely well organized and very clean. So, I'm very happy to see a well-organized exhibition.”

Simon Jenkinson, President of LINAK (Shenzhen), also referred to the high number of visitors: “My personal opinion is that the show is busier than I was actually expecting it to be. There are more people here than I thought there would be, and we are meeting many of our old friends as well from within the industry, that we haven't seen for a long time. This has been the first opportunity to catch up with existing customers and contacts.”

“For all of our events - whether in Cologne, with our B-SAFE4business concept, or abroad in coordination with our subsidiaries - we have developed detailed hygiene concepts that enable our customers to conduct business with one another directly”, Gerald Böse, President and Chief Executive Officer of Koelnmesse, assured.

“Trade fairs have an absolute systemic relevance for the global economic fabric, and for many participants they are actually of existential importance. 90 percent of the exhibitors in the Koelnmesse programme are small or medium-sized enterprises for which international trade fairs represent the main gateway to the global market. Our mission, as an international trade fair organiser, is to give the industries involved the propulsive power they need for their business. And we take this mission very seriously.”

The supplier fair for the furniture and interior design industry ZOW will take place in Bad Salzuflen from 4 to 6 February 2020. Here are some some tips and suggestions for your visit.

ZOW 2020 is a communication platform for product presentations for the coming order season, but also acts as a forum for thinking ahead for future years. Similar to a craft workshop or a prototyping lab, it offers customers and developers the time and space to discuss exploring new paths or to forge bold ideas in rough form. Here you can get an initial overview of the innovations and further developments at this years ZOW.

Well timed for the industry’s sample cycle, the supplier trade fair with the feel of a workshop is hosted approximately halfway between the 2019 and 2021 editions of the industry’s leading international trade fair, interzum. It therefore provides enough time and scope for the first sparks of ideas for new implementations, for further product developments and company-specific adaptations of standard market solutions. In addition to being a craft workshop, studio and marketplace, ZOW will once again be one thing above all else: a forum for in-depth communication and active networking for all successful participants in the furniture value creation process.

Urbanisation and gentrification are processes that have an immediate impact on social structures, communal living and, not least, domestic life. This has direct consequences for urban planners and architects – not forgetting the interior design sector. At ZOW 2020 designer and trend scout Katrin de Louw will be presenting three layouts in a special exhibition area intended to provide lasting inspiration for increasingly sought-after tiny and shared spaces. At the special event area [Tiny] Spaces: From Square Meters to Shared Meters , ZOW will inspire new ideas among visitors from the worlds of industry, skilled trades, design and interiors and give rise to new product and service development concepts.

With “ Best of PURE TALENTS CONTEST by imm cologne 2020 ” ZOW 2020 presents a selection of groundbreaking ideas on how living spaces will be designed in the future. In the begining of 2020, the imm cologne hold one of the most internationally renowned competitions for up-and-coming young designers for the 17th time. For the PURE TALENTS CONTEST 2020 723 young designers have applied from 59 different countries with 862 products. A selection of the best pieces will be displayed at ZOW 2020.

You can order your ticket free of charge for the ZOW online in the Ticket Shop .

How will we design our living areas in the future when they are becoming more and more interconnected? Exhibitors of interzum have developed new products for flowing space concepts.

As purely functional spaces, the kitchen and bathroom used to be often separated from the living area in the past. But these times have gone. Today, living spaces rather merge. Representative furniture and homely accessories increasingly overshadow the functional aspects such as cooking and washing.

But what does the increasing merging of living areas mean for the room design? What are new requirements for furniture and components? Exhibitors of interzum have addressed this issue and developed new products for open plan living areas. They meet the increased demands on design and functionality with systematic concepts and high flexibility.

At last interzum, Vauth-Sagel presented a new modular system that can be used in different living areas. The system modules act as an open dressing room in the bedroom or as a modular organisation system in the bathroom or kitchen. Shelves made of wood or glass make the system frame into convenient storage, combined with a wire basket for practical hanging. It can be replaced and rearranged at any time, depending on the stage of life and personal requirements.

A system that can also be used in all living areas is "Open Style" from Schüco Alu Competence. It follows the principle of open design and consistent look of various living areas. The system divides rooms and performs various functions as a fixed or movable element. It can be used as a wall or niche application, room divider, privacy screen or as a decorative design element. The system's aluminum frame is combined with 16 mm thick decor panel material.

The Portuguese company Sonae Arauco has also developed a new collection for an open architecture with flowing living areas. The selection of melamine-resin coated panels and laminates is particularly suitable for flexible room design. The "innovus" collection, with more than 200 decors and 15 surfaces, enables more than 260 different combinations. Under the motto "Mix & Match" wood decors of various tree species, stone, oxide and cement decors as well as a large colour palette are available.

The traditional separation of living areas will probably be further lifted in the future. Not only our lifestyle speaks for it, but also an increasing shortage of living space. Therefore, flowing and multifunctional spatial concepts are becoming increasingly important. The novelties presented at interzum offer new and forward-looking possibilities for this.

Encouraging signal for the industry: as the largest supplier fair for furniture in Asia, interzum guangzhou successfully took place with extensive hygiene measures.

interzum guangzhou in China (27 to 30 July 2020) demonstrated that trade fairs with strict hygiene rules in place and a limited number of admissions are possible in spite of the pandemic and can result in a good commercial outcome. The chinese branch of interzum in Cologne marked the first major platform for the international furniture manufacturing and supply sector in the second half of the year.

interzum guangzhou is the most influential trade fair for the furniture production, woodworking machinery and interior decor industry in Asia. At this year’s event more than 800 exhibitors from 16 countries and almost 100,000 visitors took the opportunity to meet vendors, customers and business partners again in person, building and strengthening relationships and reconnecting as an industry.

'In the current situation, the most important thing is for our customers to feel comfortable and safe at our events', Keith Tsui, Managing Director of the Chinese Koelnmesse subsidiary, explained. 'As event professionals, we see ourselves in a position to create conditions that are conducive to trade fairs, even in times such as these.' International exhibitors made use of the event. Among other things, there was an official German group entry comprised of a total of eight German exhibitors; their appearance was successfully supervised by local employees or sales partners on location.

interzum guangzhou was also a role model for a successful digital extension of the event's reach: For international customers who were unable to travel to the venue due to travel restrictions, the trade fair offered Offline2Online Live Business Matching. International visitors joined in the proceedings digitally from home, virtually meeting with the exhibitors on hand to cultivate business relationships and present new products. Exhibitors' feedback on these virtual meetings and on the event as a whole was consistently very positive.

interzum guangzhou offers optimistic prospects for returning to normalcy following months of uncertainty. 'The international participation was good and in keeping with the circumstances; thanks to digital business matchmaking, exhibitors were also able to reach visitors who were unable to travel to the event', according to Gerald Böse, President and Chief Executive Officer of Koelnmesse. 'This corroborates our efforts to begin hosting trade fairs again in our halls in Cologne as soon as possible. The success of interzum guangzhou encourages us to set the course for this outcome, together with our customers.'

What are the trends in modern floor coverings? interzum 2021 is dedicating its own special show to the topic of flooring.

Investments in interior construction with the areas of floors, walls and ceilings have not only increased since the corona pandemic. The development of modern floor coverings is particularly exciting. Numerous new materials and decors today offer a growing variety in design and function. New and often surprising innovations are made possible with technical progress. They range from laying and connection techniques to material combinations and new areas of application.

Modern floor coverings significantly shape the ambience, improve the acoustics or ensure a pleasant indoor climate. In addition to product characteristics, the buying decisions are being more and more frequently and more clearly influenced by soft criteria such as sustainability, socially responsible production, recycling capability as well as low transport and energy costs. The possibilities for individual design are diverse, because the flooring market also has a global alignment. The customers are increasingly demanding higher-quality line-ups that cut a “clean figure” for many years after the initial installation or renovation – both in the commercial section as well as for implementation by property owners and private customers.

The interzum is going to place an even stronger focus on the manufacturers of flooring at the coming 2021 event. An attractive pavilion will offer German and international companies from this segment a high-quality presentation platform. “Regarding the visitors, we are targetedly addressing floor layers, craftsmen, building owners and architects,” the interzum Director, Maik Fischer, stressed, adding "because almost a third of our trade fair visitors belong to these professions. Furthermore, our exhibitors are confirming the rapidly growing appeal of precisely this clientele.”

interzum is thus one of the most coveted hotspots for floor laying companies and the flooring specialised trade. Recently around 75,000 trade visitors were registered at the leading Cologne-based trade fair for suppliers. Around 13% of whom belonged to the target group interiors/shopfitting, 9% were from the carpenter/joiner trade and 7% were interior design and decoration companies. The visitor structure analysis of 2019 also clearly reflects this significant position: Whereas in 2017 every fourth exhibiting company specialising on this visitor target group of floor and parquet layers considered their goals to be completely achieved and addressed, recently in 2019 it was every second company.

The preparations for interzum 2021 with regards to flooring are currently running at full speed. Grouped under the product segment Materials & Nature , the emphasis of which lies on resource-saving, sustainability and innovative surface design, the trade fair is awaiting exciting corporate presentations for parquet, solid wood and cork flooring, elastic flooring as well as for LVT or designer flooring and laminate.

Interested exhibitors are invited to participate in the interzum Flooring special area at the upcoming trade fair, which will take place in Cologne from May 4th to 7th, 2021. As with a birthday cake, interested exhibitors can book their own piece with a full-service package at interesting conditions. Alongside the presentation surface, the latter also includes the stand construction, lighting and electricity, the graphics, furniture, a communication package as well as parking and admission tickets. The red carpet is literally being rolled out for exhibitors and visitors whose commercial focus is flooring in Cologne next May.

“We aren’t waiting for the good old days to come back”, says Matthias Pollmann, Vice President Trade Fair Management, about the preparations for the forthcoming edition of interzum . The trade fair team aims to offer the industry a safe platform and enable a successful restart. “We firmly believe that everything is possible with our hygiene and safety concept, #B-SAFE4business , our new, broad-reach digital tools in the form of interzum@home, and a positive attitude. The playing field is prepared – now it is up to the industry to use this framework.”

An internationally leading trade fair like interzum provides significantly more potential for customer contact than any other analogue or digital format. It is only this kind of globally relevant platform that can really bring supply and demand together. “The trade fair’s future as a marketplace will increasingly take interzum into the digital sphere because this is where we see the best opportunities for increasing its reach and influence”, says Maik Fischer, Director of interzum. This will not only reach those visitors who are unable to travel to Cologne – the trade fair will also be able to make contact with people who have never made the journey. “It will no longer simply be about the numbers of exhibitors and visitors attending in person – we want to be measured in terms of the quality of our digital reach as well,” explains the Director.

With the launch of the new interzum@home platform, the trade fair is doing more than simply expanding business opportunities for its exhibitors. It will also reach a broader spectrum of visitors, thereby offering participants diverse additional opportunities for customer interaction. The platform will be a forum for virtual exchanges between industry peers, for networking with relevant new and existing contacts and elevating business to the next level. In addition to a variety of live-streamed digital stages, there will be open and thematically curated video chats in the virtual cafe, and visitors attending the trade fair online will be able to experience new launches in exhibitors’ exclusive showrooms. In this way, exhibitors will benefit directly from additional contacts and broader reach.

This elevates trade fairs to a whole new level. Hybrid events will broadcast the action at the trade fair venue around the world in online-friendly formats, enriching the industry event with additional digital offerings and extended availability online. The template for success that trade fairs have always followed is being expanded, not replaced. “The action at the trade fair venue will continue to be the cornerstone of the event and creates pull as a temporary meeting place for entire industries”, says Matthias Pollmann. “We are convinced that a huge concentration of energy is produced when the right people gather for a short period of time and take part in personal, emotional exchanges – that is what makes a trade fair; that is what makes interzum .”

New perspectives on home working seem to be evolving rapidly in the coronavirus pandemic. But what do they mean for interior design?

The use of digital media and the growing overlaps between our professional and our private lives were resulting in new forms of living and working even before corona. Trends that had been apparent for some years are now picking up speed. Issues such as how to create a home office have assumed a whole new significance in the crisis. One thing seems to be clear: How we live and how we furnish our homes are set to change in the long run.

Unprecedented events like the coronavirus pandemic affect the world in all spheres of life. Lockdowns and social distancing regulations have made working from home a reality for many. This has focused even greater attention on a healthy work-life balance. But many living spaces are not designed to serve simultaneously as an office. Those working from home frequently find themselves distracted and overloaded as a consequence.

Home working calls for creative ideas. After all, the kitchen table has its limitations as a desk. Innovative furniture concepts that adapt flexibly to different situations are needed, and not just since the coronavirus outbreak. Lighting must also be adaptable so that it can create a comforting and cosy atmosphere as well as fostering a pleasant work environment.

Modern technology makes working in the home office more convenient and efficient. Digital tools support home workers while video conferencing enables teamwork. But technical installations should be as unobtrusive as possible in living spaces. Cables and other distracting technical elements must be concealed in the furniture or integrated into the interior. Intelligent storage solutions can conceal bulky devices and simultaneously create more space for work.

The quality of home life will not be determined by furniture design, however, but by the interior structure. Architects and interior designers were already developing growing numbers of loft-style solutions and open-plan interior concepts before corona. Ideas like these see the different areas of the home become gradually merged. Many designers view the modern home as a membrane between various functions and between inside and outside. This trend is likely to have a growing influence on the design of tomorrow’s homes.

Flexibility, saving space and convenience are crucial factors in the design of future living environments. The ways in which we live and work are becoming more heterogeneous and call for new solutions. Issues such as ergonomicsand health benefits are increasingly influencing furniture design – and not just because of the current pandemic. The desire for bespoke interior design that adapts to the individual’s needs calls for new forms and production techniques as well.

The changes in our living environments pose new challenges for the furniture industry and its suppliers. interzum plays a special role here as a catalyst for new ideas. The trade fair is a central communication platform for the industry and provides diverse inspiration. The most pioneering products appear in Cologne alongside new technological developments and innovations in materials. At the next event from 4 to 7 May 2021, suppliers to the furniture industry will gather again to present numerous new launches and look ahead to the future of home living – with a special focus on the coronavirus crisis and the changes resulting from it.

In continuation of interzum, the trade fair of the supplier industry ZOW 2020 will place a focus on “Tiny and Shared Spaces“. Trend scout Katrin de Louw will be presenting three layouts in a special exhibition area.

From 4 to 6 February 2020, manufacturers of kitchens, upholstery, household furniture and office furniture as well as interior designers and contract furnishers will have the opportunity to experience many thrilling product debuts and production-ready innovations at ZOW. At next year’s trade fair, there is a clear focus on the intelligent organisation of our home and working lives of tomorrow and beyond.

Urbanisation and gentrification are processes that have an immediate impact on the interior design sector. The furniture industry and suppliers are increasingly turning their attention to this topic, offering product solutions that are both high-quality in design and perfected in terms of technology. At ZOW 2020 designer and trend scout Katrin de Louw will be presenting three layouts in a special exhibition area intended to provide lasting inspiration for increasingly sought-after tiny and shared spaces. young and old, employed people and retirees find common ground in the project.

The 15 sqm apartment for a commuter is characterised by its built-in furniture, which is designed to make the best use of the available space. The upholstered furniture and cabinets blend into the space just as much as the kitchen and work area do. Different lighting compositions change the room in line with requirements and mood. IT has been integrated into the small apartment with a focus on multifunctionality. In comparison to this there is an age-appropriate 18 sqm city apartment. Accessible living is top priority with all the available comforts and the support of assistance systems in the background.

In addition, the special exhibition will feature shared “co-joining” and “co-cooking” areas. The kitchen systems and usable areas for different requirements, storage space and media services are available to inhabitants. Indoor and outdoor areas also merge. It’s also possible to opt in or out of various functions and furnishings for a fee.

With the global trend towards urbanisation, the concentration of dwindling resources in congested urban areas and the conscious shift in attitudes towards minimalist living and sustainability, entirely new approaches to work, accommodation and life in general are needed right now. In contrast to Asia, this emerging global trend is only just getting started in Europe, but important trade fairs like ZOW are already providing key inspiration for new developments. Interested ZOW exhibitors have already approached de Louw and her team. Companies including Hunger, Kalb, Impress, Interprint, Schüco Alu Competence and Swiss Krono are among those providing the project with interior furnishings and accessories, surfaces and fittings.

More informations you will find here .

What does the kitchen of the future look like? Will we operate all devices by voice and unfold furniture as needed? Exhibitors at interzum 2019 have thought ahead and presented new concepts.

Among other things, the leading trade fair for furniture production and interior design showed how interconnected technology can increase the comfort in the kitchen. Austrian manufacturer Blum presented a smart concept study at interzum and demonstrated how wall cabinets and pull-outs, dishwashers and refrigerators can be opened and closed with simple, spoken commands. In customizable scenes like "Clear away the shopping" all the relevant wall cabinets and pull-outs will glide open by themselves. Opening the waste bin pull-out without touching it is another useful scenario. Blum showed how it is possible to define various scenarios and operate several items of furniture at the same time.

Especially in situations where you don't have your hands free, technology that can be voice activated is extremely practical. The exhibitor Hailo has transferred this realisation to an electronic cabinet opener. It can be connected to smart speaker systems – which is particularly practical when you have your hands full when preparing food in the kitchen.

Space is tight. At least in the conurbations around the globe, where housing is scarce and prices per square metre are high. This poses a challenge to furniture manufacturers to extract optimum storage space, order and access in these very spaces. With its "urban smart kitchen", Kesseböhmer demonstrated at interzum how a small metropolitan kitchen measuring six square metres can be planned with intelligent fittings solutions in a practical and user-friendly way. Narrowing fronts, electrically opening and height-adjustable pull-outs as well as space-saving furniture offer plenty of comfort for small rooms.

At interzum Ninkaplast was showcasing its product development of Qanto, which is already considered a success by kitchen furniture manufacturers. The extending, powered tray lifting system was designed as a "plug-and-play" element for the optimum use of storage space in corner cabinets, kitchen islands or other base cabinets. At the touch of a button the storage space system, equipped with two or three trays, extends from or retracts into the worktop. The new lower pull-out tray easily moves kitchen appliances into an ergonomically optimum working position. The new adapter plate allows the top tray to be matched for the perfect aesthetic fit with the surrounding worktop.

The kitchen has always been a place for innovation. Current keywords such as "Smart Kitchen" or "Kitchen 4.0" show that nothing has changed. With the new products from interzum, the kitchen will be a little more innovative again.

For the lighting of and in furniture, there are increasingly minimalist solutions today. There is a demand for luminaires and lighting systems that take up little space and blend discreetly into the furnishing concept.

During Interzum, German company Elektra highlights three new mini profiles which correspond to the current philosophy of miniaturization. The purist appearance of the profiles are included into the furniture nearly imperceptible. The consistent 4-pole connecting system offers the use of the different control systems like sensor switch, remote control, Bluetooth control or voice control individually. For the professional shop fitting a flexible system for invisible electrification of standard shelf system is presented.

The new pluggable Gallery LED light strip from DWD Concepts also offers a variety of uses on shelves or on furniture - and this with a very high colour rendering. Plug connectors and connections as well as the different holding clips allow a quick and easy installation of the light strip. The company FitArt has also developed an innovative solution for lighting shelves. The Ghost system is a patented system which, through the thickness of the panel, supplies the power to the movable shelves complete with lighting, installed on NB system. The electric power, transmitted by an electromagnet, is controlled and protected by an electronic board. The racks do not need electrification.

Minimalist design with innovative LED color changing technology combines the new tube light by CHF Lichttechnik GmbH. The round mirror luminaire was awarded the interzum award 2019. With black or white profiles, the tube lights are available in different variants. The spectrum ranges from classic surface-mounted luminaires to a complete framing of the mirror.

At interzum 2019, the exhibitors Frerichs Glas and Hansen presented an extremely flat light body, which is also suitable for harsher environments. "Cleverglas" is an LED area light in combination with durable safety glass, which emerged from a cooperation between the two companies. Minimalism is an aspect that all of the products in the portfolio of Gera Leuchten have in common. The new "LichtBox" from the manufacturer is based on the minimalist structure of the company's Lighting System 4: a rectangular black aluminium profile frame with integrated LED lights at the front and at the back – fully in line with the new restraint in furniture lighting.

Material from recycled waste or renewable raw materials offers future-oriented alternatives to plastics. Exhibitors at interzum 2019 presented new and innovative solutions.

In the manufacture of furniture and its components, recycled or biomaterial is now a serious alternative to plastic. This was proven by various exhibitors at this year's interzum with new products. For example, the furniture fittings of the Swedish manufacturer Ackurat are already being produced with “ocean-waste material”, recycled fishing nets or wood fibers. The company uses biodegradable material from up to 80 percent renewable resources. By 2020, 100 percent of fossil-free materials will come into production of the company.

Wagner System GmbH presented a green alternative to conventional castors, wheels and furniture glides from plastic at the interzum 2019. The newly developed "Ecofriendly" components of the manufacturer from the Black Forest are not only characterised by a natural wood appearance, but also score with a positive energy balance. Using state-of-the-art injection moulding technology, they are made from a special bio-compound, which consists of up to 80 percent renewable raw materials. The added regenerative ingredients become visible similar to a wooden structure.

An alternative to plastic is the natural material "karuun shine", which was awarded this year's interzum Award. The young company out for space from Bavaria wins the material from the rattan palm. The material is light- and air-permeable as well as sound-insulating and can also be deformed. The environmentally friendly material thus opens up a multitude of new application possibilities - for example in the areas of acoustics, interior design, lighting, floor coverings etc.

For the packaging of cushions or duvets, the exhibitor Willems Packaging came up with a green solution. With recycled packaging, the Dutch manufacturer wants to contribute to a sustainable circular economy. For this he offers various types of recycling bags made of various materials. Cotton or cardboard is reused in the bags as well as polyethylene and other plastics. Popular formats can already be delivered in small quantities.

Plastic alternatives were also presented on the special areas of interzum. In the material hub at the Piazza "Mobile Spaces" the Stuttgart-based design office Khalil presented high-quality new surfaces made of plastic waste. "RePlastic" is a versatile product made from used plastic that is shredded into small granules using a specially developed machine. The further processed material is suitable, for example, for use in electric vehicles or architectural projects.

interzum 2019 drew to an end with outstanding results. The world’s leading trade fair for furniture production and interior design was a source of inspiration for the design of future living spaces.

For four full days, interzum presented the technical, haptic and visual refinements with which tomorrow’s furniture will set new standards. With 1,805 exhibitors from 60 countries, more companies than ever before showcased their innovations across the exhibition areas. Out of a total audience of 74,000 visitors, over 55,000 came from outside Germany.

In its anniversary year, interzum mastered the balancing act of being an industry meeting place for trade visitors on the one hand and a hotspot for the creative professions on the other. manufacturers, architects and designers were able to discover a host of innovative materials and production processes. A diverse range of special event areas on materials and surface design, digital products, smart systems and mobile living spaces presented a broad spectrum of future issues.

Future-oriented are the award-winning products of interzum award, which was held for the tenth time already – this year with an increase in the number of registrations. Participants from 22 countries entered their products, product refinements, materials and innovations. The awards show the global megatrends that drive the industry. Groundbreaking topics such as sustainability, flexibility or multi-functionality play a decisive role in many of the award-winning new products. The category “Tiny Spaces” featured in the award for the first time, with interzum recognising and responding to the trend of small-space living.

With versatile special event areas, talk and discussion areas, piazzas and workshops, interzum 2019 provided a forecast of tomorrow’s living spaces. How will we live and work in the future? How will we get around and what vehicles will we use? Answers were found in the presentations at the trade fair: with environmentally friendly materials, with more comfort on smaller living spaces, with flexible solutions for more mobility and with digital tools that further simplify life. The standout themes this year that will set the direction of future developments were the continuing rise of individualisation, energy efficiency and sustainability, light (LED), digitalisation (including voice control), micro living and “slide and hide”.

The next interzum will take place from 4 to 7 May 2021 in Cologne.

Up-and-coming talents for the future of industrial design are presenting their work at interzum 2019 in Cologne. The presentation of the VDID Newcomers’ Award 2019 takes place on 24 May as part of the VDID Industrial Design Day.

The VDID Newcomers’ Award honours outstanding student achievements and offers aspiring industrial designers a platform and support for a successful start to their careers. The jury was looking for the best student projects and final degree assignments completed at German universities between 2017 and 2019. The entrants were free to choose their own theme, with work from all areas of product and industrial design accepted. From 198 submissions by young designers from 30 universities, the jury selected four equally ranked recipients of the main prize and awarded the accolade honourable mention to four further projects.

Jingyue Chen, Tobias Gehrke, Simeon Ortmüller, Yigang Shen and Vincent Steinhart-Besser for „Captin_Kiel - Clean Autonomous Public Transport“, Anna-Lena Gölz for her final bachelor’s project „pure“, a mobile dialysis machine developed with the support of KfH Nierenzentrums Erlangen, Jan Christian Schulz for „Moorwerk“. The special prize „Light In Product Design“ goes to Lars Herzog, Lina Pfannstiel and Benedikt Schneeberg for their integrated lighting solution for a riot police helmet.

Further information can be found here .

With numerous special areas, interzum will show the future of furniture production and interior construction. An overview of the diverse event program.

interzum is an opportunity for the supplier industry to reveal all its innovative power. In addition to the innovations of the international exhibitors, there are numerous special areas for global megatrends and future-oriented developments in the industry. The leading industry platform is thereby an important source of inspiration for designers, architects, product developers and other planners.

In hall 4.2, the Berlin trend forecasting agency Haute Innovation will showcase some of the latest materials innovations and disruptive technologies at the trade fair. The exhibition will be divided into four main areas of focus: biological transformation, resource efficiency and sustainability, digital and smart materials, and production-related materials innovations. Featuring over 100 exhibits across roughly 400 square metres.

The piazza in hall 6.1 will be highlighting how innovative surface materials broaden the range of options available to the industry. Trend expert Katrin de Louw will concentrate pioneering developments in interior architecture and furniture design into one area here. The piazza is divided into sections addressing the key words “Sustainability”, “Customised”, “Haptic”, “Lightweight”, “Digital Printing”, “Anti-Fingerprint” and “Wood & Stones”. It is not just wood and materials that will be presented in the special exhibition, but also related product groups such as furniture handles or upholstery and decorative fabrics.

Visitors will have the opportunity to experience innovative solutions for life in mobile living environments. All the trends in the mobile sector are highly relevant to interzum because new materials and innovations in function, machinery and lightweight design are required to put them into practice. The special event area in Hall 10.1 will host impressive exhibits and highlight examples from the Maritime, Aircraft, Railway and Automotive areas. The „Mobile Spaces material hub“ in the centre of the piazza will look even further ahead into the future. The world of materials as the link that joins will be presented by KHALIL design.

Living space is becoming increasingly scarce in the world’s congested urban areas. How comfort can be combined with small living spaces is and will remain a highly relevant issue. interzum has attracted a range of high-profile companies to appear in the special area on the Boulevard: Atim, Blum, Hettich, Häfele and Pessotto will present their responses to the specific requirements of living in tiny spaces.

How can the expectations of furniture production and interior design be served by means of digitalisation? interzum 2019 addresses these questions in its new piazza in hall 3.2. This is where interzum’s exhibitors will showcase a product or service they offer, or a best-practice example from their everyday business. Physical products with digital components will be presented, as will new business models and solutions in which digitalisation influences design, production, sales, logistics or recycling.

The broad spectrum of potential uses of digital printing will be shown also in hall 3.2 in a demonstration - ranging from the design concept to the finished piece of furniture and thus including all the important process steps required for the integration of this groundbreaking technology into furniture production and interior design. The entire process will therefore be shown, from the choice of decoration and its transfer into the computer programs to the actual printing stage and the subsequent finishing step. There will also be a presentation of a selection of leading specialists in the field.

You will find the complete event program here .

From 21 to 24 May 2019 interzum presents pioneering innovations for homes and interior design. International exhibitors will present new materials and functions at the largest event for the supplier industry. We will take a look at some exciting novelties in advance - this time in the "Function & Components" segment.

The boundaries between the different areas of the home have been eroding for some time. The increasing fluidity of transitions is having an effect on systems, fittings and lighting. Many exhibitors at interzum 2019 are focusing on flexible design elements that act as the foundation for a consistent home architecture. One example of this trend is the new Schüco Openstyle system, which allows spaces to be flexibly joined or subdivided in line with requirements and the current living situation. “OpenUp” is Vauth-Sagel’s slogan for its interzum appearance. The storage specialist will premiere solutions for all areas of the home at the fair. Highly flexible also sums up the presentation by Hettich, a specialist in functional fittings, who will present multifunctional new products for different living situations.

Increasing flexibility and multifunctionality in furniture is going hand in hand with rising standards for the design of technical solutions. In this context, the miniaturisation of fittings technology and components such as control and lighting elements continues to play a major role. At interzum, Kesseböhmer will present a new flap fitting that is significantly different to the previous standard solutions on the market in its dimensions, design and functions. Lighting furniture manufacturer Gera is also devoting its energies to miniaturisation. Its stand will feature luminaires that can be integrated into furniture almost invisibly. German start-up ambigence is taking advantage of this year’s interzum to present a completely new product category. It starts from a simple principle: instead of seeing the furniture panel and fittings as two separate components, they are conceived as a single unit.

A further issue that many exhibitors at the forthcoming interzum are addressing is increasing urbanisation. With growing numbers moving to cities, living space is in increasingly short supply, especially in major conurbations, and rents and house prices are soaring as a result. This trend calls for optimal utilisation of the available floor space and components to provide more space per square metre. The latest solutions here include intelligent storage solutions, such as Kesseböhmer’s “urban smart kitchen“. Other exhibitors like Hettich are showing new concepts for mini-apartments. As a world novelty, the company raumvonwert is showing a foldable staircase for small living areas that is modular, individually adaptable and versatile. A special event area at the trade fair will highlight the development potential that the intensifying shortage of living space presents: a number of exhibitors will showcase new concepts and solutions in the “Tiny Spaces – Living in Compact Homes“ Piazza. To accompany the Piazza, London-based star architect Yasmine Mahmoudieh will present her experience of working with tiny spaces and discuss the future requirements that will apply to this field in a talk on Tuesday 21 May 2019.

The innovations on display at the forthcoming interzum will determine the components and functions for the design of tomorrow’s interiors. An overview of the exhibitors from the "Function & Components" segment can be found in the exhibitor search .

From 21 to 24 May 2019 interzum presents pioneering innovations for homes and interior design. International exhibitors will present new materials and functions at the largest event for the supplier industry. We will take a look at some exciting novelties in advance - this time in the "Materials & Nature" segment.

Many consumers today expect their living environments to both look and feel good, and to be tailored to their individual needs and wants. Therefore the importance of the material dimension of design is growing, and with it attention is focusing on surfaces – a trend clearly in evidence at this year’s interzum. The diversity of new decors and surfaces that will be on display at the trade fair is almost limitless. New or rediscovered materials and combinations, as well as innovative manufacturing processes, have paved the way for these developments. Digital printing enables unique patterns while soft-touch or anti-fingerprint effects ensure an excellent look and feel that lasts.

Reproducing materials remains especially popular in laminated surfaces. Imitating the appearance of very different woods is a trend that shows no sign of stopping and one that appears today in many different forms. Manufacturers like Egger are responding to current demand for striking, rustic woods with new synchronised pore surfaces with the look of old wood. Screen printing and digital printing specialist Stainer will have extra-large-format wood decors on display at its stand at interzum 2019. Its six-by-two metre panels with the look of different deciduous woods are suitable for walls and flooring. In the field of digital reproductions, the influence of matt, metallic-look surfaces is growing. The Viscora® Supermatt metallic coloured lamination film by Austrian exhibitor Hueck Folien is an example of this trend, as is a new surface by Egger that imitates the look and feel of finely brushed metal.

Consumers want the interior design of their homes to be as contaminant-free as possible, and many are also seeking to minimise their ecological footprints. Eco-friendly materials and furniture components are therefore a crucial point of focus for many exhibitors at the forthcoming edition of interzum. Among them is wood processing company Swiss Krono. It will be showcasing BE.YOND, the world’s first biobased chipboard that meets the most stringent indoor air quality requirements. As a renewable, carbon-neutral recyclable material, wood plays a major role in lightweight design and furniture construction. Austrian plywood manufacturer Sperrholzwerk Schweitzer will have aerowood® on display in Cologne. The lightweight panel is resource-efficient, extremely light and available in any dimensions.

“Nature is here” is Proadec’s slogan for its showcase. Its new, exceptionally environmentally friendly edge banding will be on display at the trade fair. Another key area of focus at interzum will be biobased plastics. Among the innovations on show in this category are fittings by Swedish exhibitor Ackurat and a new launch by Oskar Lehmann, whose product portfolio includes cable guides for desks. Sustainability can result in great creativity, as Austrian manufacturer Organoid will demonstrate at its stand: natural surfaces produced from hay or moss are made to sparkle with upcycled Swarovski Zirconia gemstones.

The desire for solutions that are as individually tailored as possible is transforming consumers’ expectations of their lives and homes. This shift has prompted many exhibitors to present new products that allow interiors to be adapted to personal requirements. The new Innovus collection by Portuguese wood-based materials manufacturer Sonae Arauco is one of the products that promise design freedom. With five new finishes and around 100 new decors, it opens up a multitude of possible combinations and applications. The Marino collection by Spanish exhibitor ServiCanto is similarly versatile and can be paired with different types of surfaces. A unique interpretation of classic wood surfaces makes the new product on show from Italian manufacturer Alpi a standout. Its Gamperana Triplex veneer collection is a collaboration with designer Martino Gamper. Instead of appearing in isolation, the veneer sheets are grouped in threes, paving the way for highly original compositions. Praveedh Décor, based in Mumbai, India, has expanded the colour spectrum of its acrylic prelaminated boards: its new product OpuLux Fantasy is available in multicolour designs that can be adapted to customer preferences.

The innovations on display at the forthcoming interzum will determine the materials and surfaces for the design of tomorrow’s interiors. An overview of the exhibitors from the "Materials & Nature" segment can be found in the exhibitor search .

With her studio in London, Yasmine Mahmoudieh is one of the world's most renowned architects and interior designers. Her work includes projects for well-known international hotels and companies as well as design for the Airbus A380. At the upcoming interzum, she will give a lecture about future-oriented micro apartments. We talked with her about the importance of materials and challenges for the living spaces of tomorrow.

Yasmine Mahmoudieh, where do you see the biggest challenges in terms of the living spaces of the future?

Talking about future living, materials have with the current developments in design and architecture even more meaning and necessity today. In the past many office spaces or hotels looked the same, it was all very predictable. Today the requirements are more complex – designs have to be unique and authentic. Therefore there is a growing need to research unusual and also sustainable materials.

What do you currently see as the dominating trends regarding materials?

In general I think materials have more functions than just the beauty of the look. I always had interest in materials that either be natural or recycable. In the world we live today it is very important to look at our ecological footprint. There are so many exciting materials from banana leafs, resins, old bottles or other residues that we used. I think that such materials have a big future. It’s a little bit like the organic food. In the beginning it was very expensive and nobody really was consuming it and now it’s everywhere in the supermarkets. With materials it is the same – once the melt is growing there will be more ecological materials used for design or architecture. Interzum is a great fair to showcase that and to help planers to find and source such materials and hopefully use them.

At the upcoming interzum, you will give a lecture about a micro apartment. What is the concept behind it?

In the future the majority of human beings will live in cities. So there is a big challenge in the way we build them. That’s why we talk about things such as micro apartments today. Spaces will have more quality of life but at the same time will get smaller. It’s a trade of quantity and quality. You can have big spaces if you don’t live in the city centre, only if you live outside. But if you have to work or you want to meet people you have to live in the city. Therefore living spaces will get smaller, but smarter and better designed. Developer have to think about how to attract people by looking on what is happening in a building, how to live and work there. The requirements are totally changing.

What are the main requirements today?

The rapidly growing of mini apartments woldwide has also another reason than to offer small spaces in city centres that are affordable. They address the issue of ‘loneliness’ of our digital society. People are thirsty for human interaction, in a world dominated by social media and technology. People trade bigger private spaces off to smaller spaces with shared common facilities as lounges, Coworking spaces, restaurants, gyms, libraries, cinema rooms etc. Community managers are making sure that people Interact and connect.

Which functions and furniture are gaining importance for smaller living spaces?

I worked with Airbus and by designing the interior of a plane you have to discuss about millimetres. In the living sector it’s becoming a bit like this. We have to find clever furniture that is multifunctional, that use the space in a much better way. Obviously materials are in micro apartments even more important, because you are very close to anything. You see everything in vicinity. I think we also have to change the mood of spaces. There are digital tools that you can use for it, but there is also lighting that can change from day to evening. I want to integrate lighting and sound into living spaces. Can you replicate nice natural sounds in a city apartment? How can you filter clean air? You have to think more about the wellbeing of the inhabitants.

What do you expect from the upcoming interzum?

We are in a time where progress, development, innovation and new ideas are accelerating. So I’m really looking forward to interzum this year, because I’m always searching for new materials. It’s a great opportunity to have a trade fair that will show innovative products and solutions across the world and at the same time will look at future-oriented topics like digitalization, sustainability or urbanization.

More informations you will find here

To give trade visitors a quick overview of innovative new products, the upcoming interzum offers free Guided Tours. The tours will contain various topics and be conducted in English

International exhibitors will present innovative new products for the design of tomorrow at the upcoming interzum. From 21 to 24 May the trade fair will feature numerous product premieres and trend-setting innovations in its three segments. To give visitors a quick and efficient overview of the diverse range of topics, the fair offers Guided Tours in English. The tours will be last approx. 1.5 hours and each deal with novelties from a trade fair segment. In addition, there will be a daily tour to selected interzum event areas.

Tuesday, 21.05.2019

9:30 a.m. Follow the red line – SELECTED SPECIAL AREAS

11:30 a.m. Materials & Nature – TOPIC: SMART SURFACES

2:00 p.m. Function & Components – TOPIC: MERGING LIVING WORLDS

4:00 p.m. Textile & Machinery – TOPIC: UPHOLSTERED FURNITURE WITH SYSTEM

Wednesday, 22.05.2019

9:30 a.m. Follow the red line – SELECTED SPECIAL AREAS

11:30 a.m. Materials & Nature –TOPIC: ECO MATERIALS

2:00 p.m. Function & Components – TOPIC: SMALL ROOMS BIG

4:00 p.m. Textile & Machinery – TOPIC: EFFICIENCY FOR MORE SLEEPING COMFORT

In order to ensure the highest possible benefit for visitors, the number of participants is limited to 20 persons, first come - first serve! The registration takes place at the interzum in the Service Center on the Nordboulevard. Please arrive at the Guided Tour Counter until approx. 15 minutes before the start of the tour to register for the required reception technology. To receive a pre-registration for the tours is only possible on the respective fair day!

Here you will find more information.

At interzum 2019, Katrin de Louw is designing a multifaceted special event on material and surface trends. We spoke with the trend expert about the importance of materials and groundbreaking topics for the furniture design of tomorrow.

Katrin de Louw, with the ‘Trends in Surfaces & Wood Design’ piazza you are designing your own special area for interzum 2019. Which future-oriented topics and developments are you focusing on in particular there?

For us it’s obviously all about materials and surfaces. We are presenting the latest products by our exhibitors and giving an overview of the most important topics. In addition to the wood types, modern textures, colours, designs and decorations, the feel of the products also plays an important part, and these can be experienced in exhibits and furniture on the piazza. Topics such as sustainability, anti-finger print, digital printing and lightweight construction will also be explored on the piazza. And we are looking forward to integrating textiles for the first time too.

What role do surfaces play in the latest furnishing trends?

Surfaces are key in the first impression made by furniture and interiors, and as we know, there are no second chances when it comes to first impressions. The importance of materials, and thereby also of the surface, continues to grow. Only with the right surface can I compete in the market and produce appealing interior design today. Design trends are also being driven forward to a great degree by technical trends as well as by the emotional impression.

How do you generally rate a trade fair such as interzum as a platform for innovation and inspiration?

Only those who make an effort to stay up to date can discover new things and take advantage of opportunities. But that doesn’t always have to involve huge innovations. Sometimes it’s enough to combine old technology with new materials, or the other way around. In future, we will see the topics of sustainability and cutting-edge technology merging even further, and here at the trade fair people can find inspiration as well as expand their network in order to make innovations possible – also for themselves and their own work.

Here you will find more information.

Well-known format, new concept: The wood-based materials innovation workshop will be dealing with exciting developments in the industry before the upcoming interzum. This time the workshop itself is innovative.

One day before interzum's start, the wood-based materials innovation workshop on 20 May looks forward to ambitious research projects and fascinating applications. Together with Koelnmesse, the Association of the German Wood-Based Materials Industry, the IHD Dresden and the Fraunhofer WKI invite you to a traditional exchange of ideas. Even before the beginning of the leading international trade fair, the industry is experiencing the innovations that the wood-based materials industry has to offer.

Currently relevant innovations for surfaces, adhesives or process optimization will be highlighted in the workshop by experts and subsequently evaluated together. The event itself is innovative this year. Particularly interesting novelties are presented in short pitches. Who can convince the audience in a short time of his idea? Emerging technical questions can be discussed between the pitches.

The KAV Award is presented annually at the workshop by Förderverein Holzwerkstoff- und Holzleimforschung. Not only the prize money, but also internships in the wood-based materials industry will be awarded this year to outstanding student theses.

In the course of the workshop, two keynote speeches will shed light on the expectations of the wood-based materials and furniture industry. Dr. Jan Bergmann, Chairman of the Board of the Association of the German Wood-Based Panel Industry (VHI) and Jan Kurth, Managing Director of the Main Association of the German Wood Industry (HDH), comment on the same theses from different perspectives. At theme tables with moderators and in the subsequent panel discussion, the audience can discuss the different theses. A final TED vote among all participants then tries to find out where the trends in quality, raw materials, adhesives, application and health lie.

The workshop will be held in German language. More information about this workshop you will find here .

With a new special area, interzum 2019 explores various ways that the megatrend digitalization is having an impact on living environments. The “Digitalization“ Piazza captures the diversity of the topic and specific ways it can benefit customers.

In many aspects, the effects of digitalization are evident in consumers’ living spaces. They range from the digitalisation of the furniture industry and the new experiences on offer when choosing and buying interior fittings, right through to innovative business models. As a determining trend of our time, the upcoming interzum dedicates an own special area to the topic. The “Digitalization“ Piazza was designed in partnership with DC digitalconnection, an agency that specialises in digital transformation.

The outline for the “Digitalization“ Piazza is “service design”. Three areas will represent each a global consumer trend, to show interior designers, furniture manufacturers and retailers how they can fulfil customer requirements. The first area focuses on conscious, sustainable living. The topics here include solutions for smaller living spaces, furniture hire and sharing models as well as sustainable production, utilisation and recycling. Another trend is the individualisation of living spaces and the personalisation of furniture. The key aspects of this sub-trend are modular furniture concepts, sensors for individualised products and new experiences for the processes of choosing and producing furnishings. The third sub-trend addresses digitalisation in the context of furniture and accessories. Robots, Sensors and smart home technology can control a range of functions within the home.

For Tanja Kruse Brandão from DC digitalconnection, it is particularly important to capture the diversity of the topic and the specific ways it can benefit customers. “Our aim is to work together with the exhibiting companies to show how the digital revolution can be harnessed in order to meet customer expectations – not just in terms of product development but also in the areas of production, sales and recycling,” says Brandão. The exhibitors at the piazza present their digital solutions, which are responses to international consumer trends. As well as physical products, there are also new business models and solutions that use digital tools to improve the design, production or sales process.

“At this piazza, we are seeking to provide a combination of promising ideas and examples of best practice,” says Maik Fischer, Director of interzum. “We are not presenting digitalisation as an end in itself. It is a tool that makes it possible to cater for customer requirements more effectively,” Fischer explains. “Ultimately it is an opportunity to make improvements to fulfil current consumer requirements regarding sustainability, individualisation, comfortable living and convenient shopping.“

More informations: www.interzum.de

Which trends are architects, designers and adjacent disciplines focusing on in terms of materials and surfaces? Yasmine Benhadj-Djilali and Adrian Sierra Garcia recently joined forces creating NUMAH for projects in the fields of architecture, design and art. We spoke with them about new materials and the upcoming interzum 2019.

Yasmine Benhadj-Djilali and Adrian Garcia, with backgrounds in architecture and design, on the one hand, as well as architecture and art, on the other, where do you currently see exciting trends in the field of materials and surfaces?

Yasmine Benhadj-Djilali: There are of course a lot of developments that we consider very interesting, for example the integration of new technologies in surfaces, or new perspectives on the production, use and sustainability of materials. Personally, I am especially intrigued by the use or re-use of natural materials. If you think of fungus-based materials: it feels almost like creating resources out of nothing; they can be used in very different ways and forms, including monolithic shapes which I am interested in. The need for ecological solutions can be a driver for very positive innovations.

How important are materials and surfaces for your own work?

Adrian Sierra Garcia: With many years of combined experience in architecture, interiors, art and design, we have recently joined forces for specific interior and architectural design projects. I am intrigued by Yasmineʼs poetic, 'sexy-functional' interior and furniture designs, where new composite materials and surfaces seamlessly meet and match with soft leathers to create large volumes that sculpt space in an artistic way. My own projects often rely on sophisticated, intelligent light or video technology like addressable LEDs, combined with translucent glass or plastic to create functional spaces that are playful and that stimulate people in profound ways. We are eager to explore new potentials mixing light, art and new technologies to create surfaces that are truly alive and aesthetically surprising.

Yasmine Benhadj-Djilali, looking back on your visit at the last interzum and with a view to the future: What do you expect from the upcoming interzum 2019?

Yasmine Benhadj-Djilali: One strength of the fair, from my point of view, is clearly the variety and diversity of big and small exhibitors which present themselves very close to each other. You can get a very good overview of new developments, from materials and specific details to holistic implementations. Especially new materials were and are very interesting for me and I am curious to see the next steps, as they might always help to find solutions for current designs as well as give inspirations for new ones in the future.

NUMAH is a new collaboration between Yasmine Benhadj-Djilali and Adrian Sierra Garcia.Yasmine Benhadj-Djilali is an architect and designer based in Berlin. With her studio YBDD she focuses on furniture and interior design; in addition, she is founder of Benhadj & Djilali gallery for design and art. At interzum 2017 she was a participant of the guided tour for architects. Adrian Sierra Garcia is an architect and artist based in Tijuana (Mexico) and Berlin. He has realized international architecture projects and art installations in public space as well as at renowned art fairs.

www.numah.design

With a special area, interzum is once again responding to one of the most exciting current issues – life in mobile living environments: The Piazza "Mobile Spaces" takes a look at innovative equipment for cars, trains, ships and planes.

In transport by land, sea, air or rail, people and their needs are the central focus of all of the Piazza „Mobile Spaces“. As an innovation driver in the supplier industry, interzum ventures a glimpse into the future with the special area. Innovative options for equipping mobile spaces in the areas of "Automotive", "Maritime", "Aircraft" and "Railway" will be presented.

The difference for furniture manufacturers and interior designers, however, lies in the fact that mobile technology and interiors place diverse and specific requirements on material characteristics , technology and safety. This is clearly revealed by an example from automotive engineering: with new assistance systems making driverless cars a reality, much greater attention is being paid to the design of the interior, which must increasingly take account of considerations that normally apply to the home and its comforts. This is also the case with rail and air transport, where the focus on travel comfort is intensifying as well.

“Many interzum exhibitors are already active in the interior design of mobile spaces, so we can call upon wide-ranging expertise in this field“, says Maik Fischer, Director of interzum. With the Mobile Spaces Piazza, we want to draw the attention of visitors from the automotive, cruise ship and aviation industries to these offerings because the interior design industry’s showcase at interzum is stronger and more innovative than anywhere else in the world.”

A good example of interzum’s mobile expertise is its cooperation with the Furniture Club. A group of the Furniture Club’s members will furnish a model cruise ship cabin to demonstrate their potential to trade fair visitors. The „Mobile Spaces material hub“ in the centre of the piazza will look even further ahead into the future. The world of materials as the link that joins will be presented by KHALIL design. It will present an outlook for materials and the language of form that will set the industry’s future direction.

The "Mobile Spaces" piazza will be on display from 21 to 24 May at interzum 2019 in Hall 10.1.

Material, color and surface in design, interior design and architecture are the focus of materials.cologne. The conference for design and innovation will take place on March 26th in Cologne and will be supported by interzum.

The interdisciplinary event materials.cologne is organized in the Chamber of Industry and Commerce in Cologne and offers an innovation platform for design, technology and business. The all-day conference would like to give suggestions and help to expand your own network. It is aimed at designers, architects and interior designers, creative people from the worlds of business, science and politics. Students of the design disciplines are also invited.

Lectures and workshops inform about news from the fields of materials and production methods. Speakers include Prof. Paul Böhm (Cologne, Germany), Gerd Ohlhauser (Surface Yearbook), Ruth Pauli and Christian Dorn (NCS Color). The latter also lead the workshop "Color". The workshop on "Surface" will be moderated by Gerd Ohlhauser and Alexander Rybol. Other working groups are on the topics of "Digitalisation in trade and industry" and "Innovative Materials". Company partners are also presenting new products in a special format called "materials.frames" - including breathtaking textures and sensual surfaces.

With four hours, the materials.cologne is recognized as a training event for architects and interior designers from NRW.

Information and registration at: www.mat.cologne

With offices in Berlin, Los Angeles and Beijing, GRAFT is one of the most renowned architecture and design studios in Germany. We talked with the office partner and co-founder Wolfram Putz about materials and customization in architecture.

Wolfram Putz, GRAFT is active in the fields of interior and product design, but also in architecture and urban planning. What major trends do you see in materials and surfaces today?

We’re currently seeing less of a radical change of direction in the trends and more of an intensification of existing developments. Ideas such as rough luxury, health, re- and upcycling and performance in terms of environmental impact are still going strong. Corresponding certifications are in high demand on the market. Atmosphere also continues to play an important role, in particular a natural ambience. And that is all well and good, but we had hoped that the new plastics might lead to the re-emergence of a Barbarella-style euphoria for the future, like in the 60s. But the more differentiated message, namely that the material is recycled, is best communicated when the product has that look. We’ve yet to see a real paradigm shift in design. The same applies to the application of new technologies. If you think of conductive surfaces or curtain materials that can change their light transmittance for example, it is all happening very much in passing. It would be great if more designerly exploration were possible on the market.

To what extent do you cooperate with manufacturers on product and interior design and perhaps also on the development of materials?

We’re doing a lot more product design than before, and we’re also collaborating with manufacturers. For example, at the moment we’re developing a carpet series for a large manufacturer and designing furniture and lighting, which is a field where there is tremendous technological progress in areas such as LED, OLED and so on. We’ve just developed a large light sculpture with a lighting manufacturer. But our work tends to consist of design as a specific stimulus that we present to manufacturers that are active in material development. Generally the volumes aren’t sufficient for this.

Speaking of volumes, what role does customisation play?

That’s a big question. Rapid prototyping hasn’t quite lived up to its promise yet when you look at the costs. Fittings can be produced with 3D metal printing, but generally the right tool is made, and that feeds into the price. Warranty issues are also more difficult than with traditional manufacturing. A general development can be seen here, but it’s very product-dependent. Where the industry already has suitable possibilities, we make use of them. But we also do customisation in furniture in a very traditional way – with a carpenter and an upholsterer. That naturally depends on an architectural project’s function and its budget; different things are possible with a luxury hotel than in residential construction.

Today digitalisation is a topic with a formative influence. To what extent is it already integrated in our living spaces in a very concrete form?

Digitalisation is influencing materials and production, but it is also having an effect on the hardware house. We’re observing growing demand – naturally we’re still talking about a high-end market when it appears in a very pronounced form. If a living room wall is to be turned into a giant LED screen, for instance, it’s a cost issue. Added to this are the very short amortisation periods because the hardware is obsolete after just a few years: the extreme speed of development is the driver of implementation and the brake on it at the same time. There’s also the problem of data harvesting, the secret “vacuuming up” of our personal information in the home or at work, for example via a networked fire alarm that doesn’t solely fulfil its real function by any means. Time will show whether growing awareness of these risks among consumers will ultimately put a limit on this development.

GRAFT was founded by Lars Krückeberg, Wolfram Putz and Thomas Willemeit. Its offices in Berlin, Los Angeles and Beijing realise projects ranging from product design to urban planning. Together with Marianne Birthler, GRAFT curated the German Pavilion at the Venice Architecture Biennale in 2018.

www.graftlab.com

From New York to Berlin to Tokyo – living space is expensive and in short supply in attractive urban areas. More and more people are having to make do with smaller homes. With its new “Tiny Spaces” Piazza, interzum is addressing this highly topical issue. Renowned exhibitors will present their answers to the specific requirements of living in tiny spaces.

The trend to less living space doesn’t necessarily have to mean sacrificing comfort in the home, and showing how is a challenge for the furniture and interior design industry. Traditionally crucial momentum for new developments in interior design has come from suppliers to the industry. And these suppliers are also playing a vital role in the use of space: real wonders in small-scale living can be achieved with the right fittings and new solutions that open up the space inside furniture.

As the world’s leading trade fair for suppliers to the furniture industry interzum has succeeded in securing a line-up of distinguished industry names to appear in the new Piazza “Tiny Spaces”: Atim, Blum, Hettich, Hommel, Häfele and Pessotto will demonstrate new solutions for living in compact homes. With a selection of different market-ready solutions, they have set out to make functionality the focus of attention. In a true-to-life presentation, visitors will be able to explore home living in miniature.

Among the products on show at the “Tiny Spaces” Piazza will be an electric cabinet bed system with a folding sofa by Pessotto that combines living and sleeping in a single space-saving design. Fellow supplier Atim from Italy developed an item of furniture specially for the event that showcases ten different space-saving solutions. Blum want to show surprising solutions for living rooms, bathrooms and hallways – wich can be adapted to all needs, from large to small living spaces. Hommel will use the exhibition space to present a micro-apartment as a complete solution that visitors can enter and experience in all its functionality.

“The Tiny Spaces Piazza acts as the link between customer needs and the furniture industry“, says Maik Fischer, Director of interzum. “Our exhibitors have an instinct for market needs. They develop solutions for these requirements and thereby enable furniture manufacturers to deploy functional and innovative components so that they in turn can produce innovative products.” Visitors of the “Tiny Spaces” Piazza will be able to test the different elements themselves and discover what “you need to furnish small spaces”.

The Belgian designduo PJMARES focuses on interior spaces and objects, combining a joyful aura with traditional craftmanship and architectural structural thinking. We talked with the two partners, Peter-Jan Scherpereel and Tom Mares, about materials, surfaces and customization.

Peter-Jan Scherpereel, Tom Mares, as designers especially of objects and interiors, where do you see current and exciting trends in the field of materials and surfaces?

Peter-Jan Scherpereel: We are always on the hunt for new materials and surfaces. To be fair, we aren’t following the trends as much as we should. But when we come across a new beautiful material or surface that meets our standards we use it. It’s quite exciting to see how this field has developed over the last years. Ecological aspects have of course gained importance, while at the same time the appearance has become quite diversified. The characteristics of materials, reaching from recycling to hi-tech in production and performance, can be chosen very precisely for a specific task, yet leaving the designer more aesthetic freedom than probably ever before.

How important are materials and surfaces for your own work? What do you focus on?

Peter-Jan Scherpereel: Materials and surfaces, their appearance and feel and their way of aging are very important to us. In our work, materials and surfaces are often used as a graphic communication layer that is put over the practical lines of our furniture. We love making unexpected combinations in texture as in colour, use traditional materials and processes in combination with hi-tech. Life should not be too dull.

How important is customized design today, the possibility to produce singular furniture and objects for individual needs and tastes? You lately launched a very successful kitchen system which seems to rely on these aspects.

Tom Mares: We feel a great need with our clients to distinct themselves. We help them doing it by allowing our furniture to be 100 percent customizable. In the case of our NOMAX kitchen system we developed a modular metal system which acts as the backbone on which we can apply the typical PJMARES material combo’s that make it a very high-end, high performing and very personal kitchen.

The design duo behind PJMARES are Peter-Jan Scherpereel and Tom Mares. PJMARES was founded in 2014 and is located in Brussels, Belgium. PJMARES creates their own collection of discerning, timeless design and interiors and are the creators of the NOMAX kitchen system.

PJMARES.com

Koelnmesse promotes upcoming design talent. Together with the German Association of Industrial Designers, the trade fair company will be presenting the VDID Newcomers' Award at interzum. Young designers have until 20 March 2019 to submit their university projects.

The VDID Newcomers' Award honors outstanding study achievements. Aspiring industrial designers are thus supported in entering the profession. With interzum, Koelnmesse also offers young professionals an effective platform. Entries can be submitted in all areas of product and industrial design – from household and interior to industrial and office through to interface design. The award ceremony will take place on 24 May at interzum.

“The submissions received every two years clearly demonstrate the high level of design education in Germany,” says Stefan Eckstein, VDID President. Together with his colleagues on the jury panel he is looking for the best student projects and final degree assignments at German universities from the years 2017 to 2019. At the end of the selection process, three equal main prizes will be awarded. There will also be a special prize for “Light in product design”.

For Maik Fischer, Director of interzum, this way of fostering the next generation is hugely important: “Today, innovation requires cooperation between different disciplines, by which I mean a dialogue between development and application, between established companies and start-ups, between young and old.“ Therefore, interzum not only offers a worldwide unique platform for product innovations, but also an international industry forum. „We provide a forum in which a highly diverse range of people can meet on an equal footing“, says Maik Fischer, „even including industry representatives and the young talent who may go on to revolutionise the products of tomorrow.”

Further information and registration at: http://www.vdid.de

“The future starts here” – this is a promise that interzum has kept since its beginnings. The 60th anniversary oft he trade fair was now the occasion for a very special event, which took place in Zurich on 14th February. At the interzum Future Lab, press representatives from all over Europe met to take a look at the design of future living spaces together with internationally renowned experts.

As the world's largest trade fair for interior construction and furniture production, interzum is an international platform for innovation. What is shown here shapes the lifeworlds of tomorrow and points to fundamental questions. What does living in 20 years look like? How will we move in the future? Which materials and functions shape the design and architecture of tomorrow? These and other topics of the future were the focus of the interzum Future Lab in Zurich. Various workshops invited to the inspirational discussions in the creative atmosphere of the Zurich coworking location Kraftwerk. It shed light on global megatrends that have a significant impact on the supplier and furnishing industry.

Following an introduction by Matthias Pollmann, Vice President Trade Fair Management of Koelnmesse, internationally known architect Yasmine Mahmoudieh started the interzum Future Lab. In her keynote address, she looked at pioneering trends in the design of future living and working spaces with a focus on the use of exceptional materials. In the subsequent workshops, IT expert Dr. Gerd Wolfram showed the effects of digitization on the furniture industry and Dr. Sascha Peters presented innovations in the field of "Disruptive Materials" - both topics will be staged with their own special areas at the upcoming interzum. The future topic "Micro Living" was also presented by the architects Dr. Krista Blassy and Thiago Zaldini. In addition, the designer Christian Harbeke from the renowned Zurich studio Nose Design Experience was on hand, which presented innovative examples of mobile spaces.

Overall, there was a wide range of topics, with which interzum once again underscored its aspiration as a future driver and incubator for innovations. “By engaging intensely with future issues and offering our visitors solutions to questions that may not arise until a future date, we create a consistent brand experience or the interzum feeling”, as Matthias Pollmann emphasized. At the same time, the interzum Future Lab gave an outlook on the upcoming event from 21 to 24 May 2019. Then Cologne will once again be the meeting point for the global supplier industry, to experience product premieres for the design of tomorrow.

Sebastian Herkner is among the most sought-after designers today. When he is designing objects and furniture for international manufacturers, he pays particular attention to the materials used. We spoke to him about the influences on his work and the connection between traditional craftsmanship and cutting-edge technology.

Sebastian Herkner, in your work as a designer, how important are materials and surfaces to the development of your designs and their characteristics?

The material is usually a fundamental consideration right at the start of my design process. The manufacturing technique or form of processing is naturally crucial here. The surface and colour go hand in hand with it and are decisive in the design’s character.

Your work combines an awareness of traditional processing techniques and materials with new technologies and finishes. What role does the manufacturers’ expertise – and by that I also mean their collaboration with you – play in this process?

As a designer, I am dependent on manufacturers. Together with the trades and artisans, they are important partners that turn my ideas into reality.

Home life, work and leisure are increasingly interlinked today in terms of both space and time. This trend is intensifying with the digitalisation of our living environments and increasing mobility. What do these phenomena mean for designers and their approaches?

These social changes have an immense influence on my work when I’m developing new approaches to furniture.I question typologies, structures and patterns of thinking, and develop new ones. Designers and their approaches have an enormous responsibility here.

Sebastian Herkner founded his studio in 2006. He designs furniture, lighting and objects for large numbers of international manufacturers. He also creates interiors and exhibition designs. Herkner produced “Das Haus – Interiors on Stage” for imm cologne 2016 as the guest of honour at the interior business event.

“Individualisation” is today’s buzzword in furniture production. Technical innovations are absolutely central to the subject of individuality, and digital printing will play an important role here in the future. As a source of inspiration for the design of tomorrow’s living spaces, interzum is the ideal launch pad from which to present new, promising innovations such as digital printing to the industry.

Whether Industry 4.0, the latest facing materials or fabrics – in many cases they only serve one purpose: to make the end customer’s dream of a personalised home a reality. Digital printing is the key to the efficient production of furniture, fabrics or carpets whose finishes are individually designed according to the customer’s wishes. “The recent rapid development in the operational readiness and stability of digital printing has convinced us to give this topic more space at interzum, because the desire to use this technology is growing among our visitors,” says Maik Fischer, Director of interzum, confirming the emphasis placed on this theme.

In Hall 3.2’s edutainment area, the potential uses of digital printing will be shown in a highly practical demonstration ranging from the design concept to the finished piece of furniture and thus including all the important process steps required for the integration of digital printing into furniture production and interior design. The entire process will therefore be shown, from the choice of decoration and its transfer into the computer programs to the actual printing stage and the subsequent finishing step. In this way, visitors will discover how digital printing technology can be integrated into their processes to worthwhile effect. With this knowledge, visitors will gain valuable know-how with practical relevance.

“Digital printing gives furniture manufacturers, architects and interior designers the ability to respond quickly and flexibly to customers’ needs,” explains Dr Anke Pankoke from Hymmen GmbH. The mechanical and plant engineering business from Bielefeld will be one of the companies exhibiting at interzum 2019 and providing content for the edutainment area as supporting partners. “Koelnmesse’s decision to explain the individual steps that are necessary to successfully integrate digital printing into furniture production and interior design is extremely helpful for companies – and it’s allowing us to reach out to new customer groups,” continues Dr Pankoke.

The furniture industry discovered the benefits of 3D printing several years ago. Companies and designers are looking for new applications and experimenting with materials and shapes. But what opportunities and advantages does the process really offer? Current projects demonstrate the potential of 3D printing for interior design.

Many companies and designers in the furniture sector have been working with 3D printing for some time and have already gained initial experience. The technology can be used in many different ways – whether for the production of entire pieces of furniture or individual components. The advantages of the process are plain to see. There are hardly any limits to creative design, the choice of materials is more flexible and hardly any waste is produced. There are also advantages in the assembly and individual adaptation of furniture.

The large Swedish furniture store with a four-letter name has already used 3D printing for the production of knitted furniture and spare parts. The group is also planning a chair for online gamers whose 3D-printed seat can be adapted to the anatomy of the respective buyer. Similar examples can be found in the independent design scene. The Data Stool by Dutch designer Henri Canivez, for example, measures the size and shape of the individual user. The seat is then created by means of 3D printing using an algorithm.

The process appears to be especially predestined for individualised products like these. A current research project at the Institut für Holztechnologie Dresden (IHD institute of timber technology) is investigating a new suspension system for upholstered furniture using the fused filament fabrication process. The project aims to make it considerably easier to adapt the seating comfort to customer requirements.

One of the major advantages of 3D printing is its speed, which is constantly being optimised. “Rapid Liquid Printing” is the name given to one of the latest processes, which was developed last year by MIT Self-Assembly Lab researchers in cooperation with furniture manufacturer Steelcase. The new printing process builds up objects layer by layer in a gel-filled container. Its objective is to create structures much faster than with conventional methods in order to create more personalised office furniture.

3D printing is also increasingly being employed to reuse raw materials. Researchers at Michigan Technological University have developed a filament from recycled wood waste from the furniture industry for use in 3D printers. The aim of the project is to produce new furniture components from leftover wood scraps. The furnishing objects created by Dutch designer Beer Holthuis are made of recycled paper waste. His Paper Pulp Printer produces objects from paper pulp, which could be a sustainable alternative to plastic.

Biomimicry is the name designer Lilian van Daal has given to her chair project, which she developed together with the 3D printing company OceanZ. The chair is made of a single material, which is both stable and flexible and is inspired by microorganisms. The waste-free production of the chair requires no foams or adhesives.

The 3D printing process appears to be forward-thinking, particularly when it comes to the production of individual components. Scottish designer Jon Christie was one of the first to combine traditional furniture production with this new technology. Using connecting elements made in a printer, his wooden chairs can be assembled quickly and designed according to the customer’s wishes.

Many pieces of furniture produced using 3D printers are still laborious design experiments. But it looks like it’s only a matter of time before the additive process can also be used to produce inexpensive objects for mass use. Sustainability and waste avoidance considerations speak in its favour, as do the advantages of fast and personalised manufacturing.

Which trends are architects and interior designers focusing on in terms of materials and surfaces? We spoke with Daniel Trappen from the prestigious architectural firm kadawittfeldarchitektur, asking him about the latest developments in these areas and what he is expecting from interzum 2019.

Daniel Trappen, in your opinion, what are the hottest trends at the moment in terms of materials and surfaces?

There has been a renewed focus on the texture and feel of materials and surfaces. Firstly along the lines of ‘hygge’ – a new level of cosiness – but also in terms of a natural feel that is accompanied by eco-friendly, sustainable approaches to design. These topics are becoming more and more important, not just in the domestic sphere but also in today’s working environments. Especially as new technologies facilitate the highly customisable design and planning of bespoke interior spaces.

How important are materials and surfaces in your own work? Some of your firm’s projects focus on recycling and follow cradle-to-cradle design concepts as well – might these developments also become more prominent in the interiors sector?

In the coming years, cradle-to-cradle and recycling concepts will occupy a lot of our attention. There is an ever-increasing focus on aspects such as reusability, recyclability and the purity of recycled materials. The trend for upcycling, although it may initially have been confined to the DIY sector, has been marketable for some time. Upcycling is now used in some industrial process structures. In addition to using existing recycled products, we see it as our role as designers to help encourage manufacturers to press ahead with the development of new innovations – by generating demand and offering to collaborate with manufacturers. With this in mind, we are interested in products that can be obtained from production waste. We want to utilise the positive properties of the materials. For example, sheet materials that are made by pressing the waste material from fabric production. These materials can be used as decorative felt panels, which have acoustic properties, or in board form for making furniture. Another example is bonded leather, which has a unique feel and texture and can be used as a sheet material or as a wall covering. We’re also interested in alternative products that are made of renewable resources, such as pineapple leather.

What are you expecting from the upcoming interzum, perhaps following on from your visit last time the fair was held?

We are hoping to discover more exciting new fields and to get some new food for thought. It is of course always interesting to have an update about what the market as a whole is doing in the area of materials and surfaces. But we are also curious to see whether some of the visionary ideas from the previous interzum have been taken further and made more professional – the area of recycling processes is just one example. And to see which new technologies are emerging – perhaps some of them will only recently have become marketable. In the past, we were particularly excited by interzum’s interdisciplinary approach, which involves exhibiting production techniques that originate from other sectors but have great potential to inspire and foster innovation within the interiors sector.

Daniel Trappen is Head of Interior Design at kadawittfeldarchitektur in Aachen. The specialisms of this prestigious firm range from interior design to urban planning and include residential and office buildings, trade fair projects and museums. At interzum 2017, Daniel Trappen participated in the guided tour for architects.

Young designers are increasingly addressing the worsening shortage of resources. They are reviving old craft techniques and using locally available raw materials. A special event area at interzum 2019 will demonstrate how a return to closed-loop material cycles could transform the world of design.

Scientists and other experts agree: we cannot continue to consume resources as we have been doing up until now. At our current levels of consumption, our way of life today probably cannot be sustained in coming generations. Young companies and designers are increasingly responding to this situation and addressing the threat of resource shortages. They are rethinking today’s material flows and recycling processes, and working to optimise the use and lifespan of resources. But instead of going down the high-tech route, they are reviving the almost forgotten knowledge of old craft techniques. For them, being aware of locally available plants and waste products is very important – this knowledge used to be handed down from generation to generation.

The special event area Disruptive Materials – Changing the Future at the upcoming interzum (21 to 24 May 2019) will be devoted to these materials and production methods. “The exhibition’s title draws on the term ‘disruptive technologies’,” explains Dr Sascha Peters. The renowned expert is curating the special event at the leading international trade fair together with his Berlin-based materials agency, Haute Innovation. “‘Disruptive technologies’ describes innovations that do more than merely bring about a shift in direction. They replace an existing system,” he says. The difference between disruptive materials and material innovations therefore lies primarily in the nature of the change that they produce. While innovations enable the further development of an existing market, the impact of disruptive technologies is much wider-reaching. For consumers, the effect of a disruptive change can usually only be felt after some time later. Just as the invention of LED lighting has gradually replaced the conventional light bulb, the materials on display in the special event area could have an immense impact on the design of furniture and interiors.