TAIPEI, Taiwan - WOOD Taiwan 2026 ended on a high note, with thousands of visitors, including buyers from 57 countries and regions. in attendance. Organized by the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA)  and the Taiwan Woodworking Machinery Association (TWMA), the Taiwan International Woodworking Industry and Furniture Manufacturing Show (WOOD Taiwan) was held April 23-26  at the Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center.

This year’s exhibition focused on four core technological areas: high-efficiency CNC machining equipment, turnkey automation solutions, AI-based intelligent inspection and data integration applications, and multi-material processing capabilities applicable to solid wood, plastics, and composite materials. According to show management, these developments reflect the industry’s shift toward “intelligence, flexibility, and higher value-added production.”

"Taiwan's woodworking machinery industry continues to demonstrate strong resilience and global competitiveness," said Simon Wang, president & CEO of TAITRA in his opening remarks. "Taiwan remains one of the world's leading exporters of woodworking machinery widely recognized for its precision engineering and high-quality solutions." Wang also emphasized that Taiwan's woodworking machinery industry will continue to drive innovation, advancing "digital transformation, integrating smart manufacturing, automation, and AI technologies into its production and services," while moving toward a future of smart manufacturing and sustainable development.

The message resonated with buyers in attendance from around the world, including Asia, Africa, Central and Eastern Europe, and North America. 

"This exhibition is not only a platform to showcase the latest technologies and innovations, but also an important opportunity to strengthen global collaboration and partnerships," added Chang Yin-Kung (Ian Chang), chairman of TWMA. He also stressed the importance of integrating AI technologies and automation to enhance productivity, reduce labor demands, and advance energy efficiency and environmentally friendly production processes. Echoing Wang, Chang noted, "Taiwan's woodworking machinery industry is actively embracing smart manufacturing and accelerating digital transformation. From equipment upgrades to integrated solutions, we continue to enhance our competitive advantage and create higher value for our customers."

Watch the video below of some of the new equipment on display at WOOD Taiwan 2026

Equipment to enhance productivity showcased
Much of the technology shown will also be available in North America to improve the productivity and profitability of furniture, cabinet, and other wood products manufacturers.

New products on display included Anderson Group's Exacct Pro IPT, which features dual tables and spindle arrangements for simultaneous loading and offloading, and the Stratus Pro for nesting jobs, integrated with Anderson's MLS storage system which allows for loading of panels of different colors, sizes and thicknesses. 

Already customer response to the new developments has been very positive, said Shawn Teng, sales director at Anderson Group. "There are already customers asking about the progress" and availability, he said, not only within the Taiwan market, but also North America and other regions. "They are quite happy right now - so excited to receive the machines."

Teng added that the global industry outlook is generally positive, despite the ongoing "international situations." "I think the market is still growing," he said, adding customers "just need some more time to make the final decision."

David Rothenberger, inside sales at Leadermac USA, concurred. "I think 'optimism' is a great term to put on it. I think that's a general consensus right now, which is great. You want people to be encouraged, and you want people who are buying the equipment to feel that this year is going to be productive and lucrative for them," he said.

"I think we all feel that it has been a bit of a wild ride over the last year. 2025 had a bit of a turbulent start, and nobody knew," he added. "For a while there we were all trying to hit a moving target [with tariffs], and we all know it concerned a lot of buyers. A lot of people paused, but once the numbers were determined, what those tariff rates were going to be, in my experience, there wasn't much more concern from the buyers. Companies were still keen to invest in equipment."

And the Taiwanese technology providers have been quick to respond to the needs of woodworkers. "They are very, very keen to provide the best quality equipment that can be available in the market," Rothenberger commented. "The Taiwanese manufacturers are not simply looking to just be in the game of producing equipment, but actually be at the top of the game...[and] when we provide them with feedback, they are quick to react positively."

Some of that new technology was on display at WOOD Taiwan. Among the machines at the Leadermac booth was the Optimac 623 six-head, 9-inch width capacity planing and profiling moulder with HSK spindles for quick changeover, and the ProSet level of controls, enabling a user to build in 1,000 profiles and 10,000 individual tools worth of storage. "It was essentially [from] listening to what the international market was looking for, and then taking that customer service, that customer-focused feedback and putting it into a highly marketable full line, that hopefully is going to check the boxes for a lot of users." It was shown in a full line, with a Feedmac vacuum destacking system, transfer table, and Feedmac stacking system. 

Systems to improve production while optimizing labor, time and yield were prevalent throughout the show floor. On display at Immortaltec's booth, and available in North America from Castaly Industries, the Supervision linear scanner is designed for high-speed, four-sided wood defect detection, including cracks, wormholes, and knots. Different inspection conditions can be set for each of the four sides, while integrated optimization software determines the optimal cutting positions to maximize lumber yield and minimize waste.

Customer interest in the system has been very high, due to its very fast and precise detection capabilities and enhanced grading accuracy, noted Immortaltec's Huang Guoshun (Simon Huang). Reduced labor costs and increased productivity in modern sawmill operations are added benefits that have customers excited. AI-guided learning also enables the system to continuously refine its recognition capabilities in terms of species and processing requirements.

Speaking of processing, at the Technik Associates booth, Nanxing featured machines for cutting, edgebanding, and drilling, suitable for panel sizes used extensively in both the Asian and North American markets. Also, said Allen Tan, deputy international sales director at Nanxing, "since the labor cost is increasing, [getting] higher and it's more and more difficult to find the employees to operate the machine, we now have more stations/lines — solutions — for customers." Woodworkers, he added, are also requesting machines that require less labor and are operator-friendly. "Our R&D direction now is a focus on machines with more digital capabilities and which are more intelligent."

He continued, "We are getting more and more international, so our machines [are able] to adapt to different programs or formats of the files to drive the machine." This open architecture allows the company's machines to easily integrate with existing lines in the customer's shop. "This is, I think, very important." 

Today's machines are also meeting the challenge of small batches/batch one processing within shorter delivery times. "We have it all," Tan said. Nanxing is distributed in the United States by Castaly Industries. 

In response to customer demand, solid wood specialist CKM (Cheng Kuang Wood Machinery Works) debuted the P-1300 planer, a single-sided, heavy-duty machine with a working width of 500mm up to 1.3 meters. "This is getting popular because of the wide range of planing (being done) at one site," explained Ethan Tu, sales manager. It is also a cost-effective option for furniture and other manufacturers that only need the top side planed, he added. Also on display were a fully automated fingerjointing line, the Model 500 jointer, a new addition to the series, and a new light-duty planer/moulder for planing, profiling, and moulding. CKM machines are distributed in North America through Stiles Machinery and Cantek.

Customer response has also been very positive for the sanders on display at the Sheng Shing/Jun Shiau Machinery (Sanderson Machinery) booth, noted James Lin, general manager. The United States and Canada are among the top export markets for the company's two businesses, sanders and smaller "traditional" machines such as planers and table saws, with distributors that include Cantek, Northtech Machine, Grizzly, Laguna Tools, and Oliver. New machines on display included the Sanderson SDH-3-1300CWW with enhanced CNC capabilities and user-friendly graphics and interface.

Available in North America from Taurus Craco Machinery and Northtech Machine, Innovator's veneer systems include cutting, gluing, splicing, and automatic stacking, plus AI-based veneer grading. High-precision imaging identifies knots, dark spots, and mineral streaks in real time, while the automatic grading capability reduces labor input and subjective judgment errors.

Other products on display geared for small and large shops included sliding table saws, edgebanders, and other equipment targeted to smaller shops from Felder, and tool sharpening equipment from Vollmer Group.

Education & networking events

There were also plenty of educational and networking opportunities throughout the four-day event. Moderated by Dr. Chi-Jen Chen, president of the National University of Kaohsiung (third from left), the Timber Structure Sustainability Forum with (pictured left to right) Professor Wan-Yu Liu from the Department of Forestry at National Chung Hsing University, Dr. Henri Bailleres, general manager for Forests to Timber Products, Bioeconomy Science Institute (New Zealand), and Tobias Smith, managing director of PTL Structural & Fire (New Zealand), offered insights on timber construction safety design in high-seismic regions and industry strategies under the global net-zero emissions trend. 

Another highlight of the show was “Savor the Grain,” a cross-industry event done in partnership with world champion baker Wu Pao Chun. The networking event showcased the blending of industry and lifestyle aesthetics through the use of wood-inspired flavors in artisan breads. “Fermented Longan Bread" wooden gift boxes, handcrafted by Taiwanese woodworking artisans, containing longan bread made by longan wood fire over six days and five nights were awarded. 

The next edition of WOOD TAIWAN is scheduled for 2029. For updates, visit woodtaiwan.com.