In the face of major changes unseen in a century, the world is ushering in unprecedented industrial transformation. Global furniture practitioners need to focus on consensus, reshape the ecology, and create a vibrant industrial network.
In order to further lead the international furniture industry cooperation, bring together global industry organizations, outstanding enterprises, and expert institutions to jointly promote the progress of the times, the World Furniture Federation Industrial Development Conference was held grandly in Nankang, Jiangxi on May 27.
Xu Xiangnan, Chairman of the World Furniture Federation, President of the Asia-Pacific Furniture Federation, and Chairman of the China Furniture Association, Secretary-General of the World Furniture Federation, Vice President and Secretary-General of the Asia-Pacific Furniture Federation, and Vice Director of the China Furniture Association
Tu Qi, Chairman and Secretary-General, He Shanjin, Member of the Standing Committee of the Ganzhou Municipal Committee and Secretary of the Nankang District Committee, Zou Zhiyu, Deputy Mayor of the Ganzhou Municipal Government, Mei Xujun, Deputy Secretary of the Nankang District Committee and District Mayor, Julio, Deputy Mayor of the Portuguese Passos de Ferreira Municipal Government and Portuguese Wood and Furniture Innovation Technology Center
Morais, Jon Barrett, deputy consul of the Canadian Consulate General in Guangzhou, Edi Snaidero, president of the European Furniture Industry Federation, Patrizio Antonicoli, secretary-general of the European Wood Industry Federation, Justina Botto, diplomat of the Economic Section of the Argentine Embassy in China, as well as representatives of various embassies and consulates in China, investment and trade promotion agencies of various countries, members of the World Furniture Federation and the Asia-Pacific Furniture Federation, government representatives of China’s furniture industry clusters, furniture and upstream and downstream enterprises and media representatives of various countries attended the meeting.
Xu Xiangnan pointed out that at present, the international political and economic landscape is developing in a more diversified direction. Furniture colleagues from all over the world have always been united and worked side by side to steer the rudder in the wave of globalization, seeking development for the industry and welfare for the people.
The World Furniture Federation is an important force in promoting the integrated development of the industry. In recent years, it has actively connected with governments, embassies and consulates, industry organizations and corporate institutions to tell industry stories, disseminate development results, and assist brand building, effectively enhancing the influence and cohesion of the global furniture industry. It has conducted in-depth industry research, released outlook reports, and proposed international initiatives to provide global furniture
Contribute wisdom and solutions to the high-quality development of the industry; hold world-class industry conferences to promote precise docking of business and trade, enhance people-to-people understanding and integration, and build a high-level international cooperation platform; promote efficient docking of local governments and international industrial resources, play an important leading role in cultivating world-class furniture industry clusters and create an industrial ecological model with international influence and global competitiveness.
Faced with the new situation and new challenges of global development, and the new expectations and new needs of hundreds of millions of families for a better life, Chairman Xu Xiangnan put forward four initiatives: First, maintain peace, adhere to multilateralism, actively implement the three major initiatives of global development, security and civilization, and make the furniture industry an important force in maintaining world peace, promoting common development, and improving people’s livelihood and well-being; second, adhere to openness, give full play to the advantages of cross-regional platforms, and promote capital, technology, talent and other production needs
The efficient configuration of the global industry and supply chain maintains the stability and prosperity of the global industrial chain and supply chain; the third is to be brave in innovation, consolidate the foundation of global sustainable development, use digital innovation to reconstruct the global industrial collaboration model, so that innovation results can achieve global universal benefit and value sharing; the fourth is to strengthen unity, give full play to the unique advantages of global influence and industrial cohesion, play a positive and constructive role in bilateral and multilateral cooperation, and the coordinated development of industries in various countries, and promote the industry to a new stage of high-quality development.
He said that peace, openness, innovation and unity are the answers of the times for the furniture industry to face the problems of the century. He hoped that all colleagues would work together to seek common development and work hard to build a closer and more dynamic community with a shared future for the global furniture industry.
Relevant leaders of Ganzhou City introduced that furniture is the first industry, the pillar industry and the industry that enriches the people in Nankang, Ganzhou. Faced with the current development situation of industry pressure and intensified competition, Ganzhou continues to deepen the furniture industry, focusing on strengthening the “Nangkang Furniture” regional brand.
In recent years, Nankang has actively led the green transformation of the industry, comprehensively promoted water-based paint technology, and established a standardized and standardized green furniture production system.
He said that this conference has built an important bridge for the Nankang furniture industry to deepen global cooperation and improve the industrial level. In the future, it will actively connect with international standards, deepen design innovation, expand brand channels, unblock the global market, and fully promote the international, high-end, green and high-quality development of the furniture industry.
A representative from the municipal government of Passos de Ferreira in Portugal introduced that the city is known as the “Furniture Capital of Portugal” and the furniture industry supports the local economy, culture and employment.
By joining the World Furniture Federation, the Portuguese Wood and Furniture Innovation Technology Center can gather greater strength to promote the coordinated development of industry, academia and research.
He believes that the low-price competition model of the global furniture industry is no longer sustainable, and the transformation and upgrading to the high-end market is an inevitable trend. It requires greater efforts in added value enhancement, digital transformation, low-carbon environmental protection, talent cultivation, and circular economy. In the future, he will rely on the World Federation platform to work with the global industry to promote high-quality and sustainable development of the furniture industry.
The Canadian representative introduced that Canada is rich in forestry resources, with high-quality forest resources such as spruce, Douglas fir, and red cedar. It is equipped with a complete wood classification system and multiple international forest sustainable certifications. The forestry industry leads the world.
Raw materials are the foundation for the upgrading of the furniture industry. Quality classification, environmental traceability, and healthy materials have become necessary conditions for exploring the international market.
He said that the furniture industries of Canada and China are highly complementary, and in the future he hopes to promote pragmatic cooperation across the entire industrial chain of both parties in terms of study tours, exhibition cooperation, and foreign affairs exchanges.
The President of the European Furniture Industry Federation pointed out that the current global geopolitical and economic situation is complex and ever-changing, and the furniture industry is facing many challenges such as supply chain obstruction, high inflation, and intensifying trade frictions.
Furniture is a consumer product, and the furniture industry has distinct global attributes. All parties should abandon division and protectionism, adhere to an open and fair trade model, and promote the coordination and unification of international rules.
He said that we should pay attention to sustainable development and intellectual property protection, and vigorously support small, medium and micro enterprises as the cornerstone of the industry.
In the future, the European furniture industry will actively work hard to work together with everyone, adhere to the rules, deepen cooperation, and jointly create a competitive, sustainable and resilient industrial model.
Delia Olivetto, Director of the Asia-Pacific Strategic Development Department of the GSoM School of Management of the Politecnico di Milano, together with Daniel Trabucchi and Tommaso Buganza, senior professors of the GSoM School of Management of the Politecnico di Milano, gave a themed report on “Beyond Manufacturing: The Rise of the Platform Industry—How Commercial Platforms Rewrite the Rules of Manufacturing”.
The report shows that the traditional manufacturing model that relies on optimizing production, expanding scale, and controlling the industrial chain has entered a development bottleneck, and the global manufacturing industry is accelerating into a new stage of platform economy.
At present, all walks of life are facing disruptive changes, and the way of competition has shown three core changes: product to platform, management and control to collaboration, and efficiency to intelligence.
In some industries with volatile markets and technological iterations, platform construction has become strategic infrastructure and the core support for enterprises to strengthen innovation, improve risk resistance and market adaptability.
In the future, the core of competition in the manufacturing industry, including the furniture industry, will no longer be the scale of production capacity, but ecological links, rapid iteration and collaborative development capabilities.
Only companies that deeply develop global platform layout and take root in localized industrial ecology can lead the development of the industry.
Enterprises should proactively follow the trend of change and accelerate the transformation from traditional manufacturing entities to platform leaders.
The World Furniture Federation Industry Development Conference, with the theme of “Work together to create a new chapter”, focuses on the three international key areas of innovation-driven, industrial cooperation and sustainable development. It invites elite representatives from the global furniture industry to gather in China. It will play a vital role in bridging and leading and empowering the new pattern of the global furniture industry that is more open and inclusive, and inject strong momentum into promoting the quality and upgrading of the global furniture industry, achieving mutually beneficial symbiosis and long-term development.
