Trends in the tube and wire industry

The Wire and Tube trade fairs at Messe Düsseldorf are an international marketplace for the wire and tube industry. The world's most important trade fair for the tube and wire processing industry will take place from April 15 to 19, 2024.

We interviewed Daniel Ryfisch, Director wire / Tube & Flow Technologies at Messe Düsseldorf GmbH

marketSTEEL: What major trends do you see in the tube and wire industry, what trends can be identified?

To be honest, we recognize one trend. It's very relevant, the energy turnaround, which spans both trade fairs. Across wire, as well as across Tube and the entire tube and wire industry.

marketSTEEL: And what opportunities and challenges do you see for the industry over the next few years, particularly against the backdrop of global economic changes and environmental impacts?

Firstly, in terms of environmental impact, we are aware that we can only stop climate change if we adapt accordingly. And in the course of combating climate change, there are also certain challenges for countries and industries.

And these challenges do not stop at the wire and tube industry. There is a lot of discussion about decarbonization, about green steel, about energy-efficient production of tubes, about the use of fossil fuels and there is also a lot of discussion about hydrogen and its production.

These are all challenges that the industries and we, as trade fair organizers, have to deal with, and the wire and Tube trade fairs are the marketplaces, the platform where people, industries and nations meet to deal with these challenges and, of course, also with the opportunities for our industries, what changes when you deal with these challenges and overcome them. Then it's not just the industries but all of us who can help to combat climate change a little.

marketSTEEL: Can you give us an insight into the focus topics of the next Wire and Tube 2024?

Well, for the first time, we have several focus topics for the upcoming event. As already mentioned, one focus topic is climate change and the energy transformation. We are trying to do justice to this with our ecoMetals initiative. This is an initiative launched by Messe Düsseldorf. As part of this initiative, we enable our exhibitors to present themselves in such a way that they can bring their green, sustainable goals, innovations, trends and highlights closer to other exhibitors and the international audience.

Another focus topic is stainless steel. The wire and Tube are among the largest stainless steel communities and platforms in the world. Around 400 exhibitors at the trade fair deal with the topic of stainless steel, produce stainless steel or trade in it.

The next focus topic is plastic tubes. Tube is not a classic steel tube trade fair. In recent years, it has become more and more of a steel tube trade fair, but tubes are not only made of steel, but also of plastic. Accordingly, we will be devoting ourselves to the subject of plastic tubes in the special Plastic Tubes and Pipes Area. We are also very pleased and happy that we are working together with the Plastic Pipes Association here.

marketSTEEL: And how has Wire and Tube developed in general in recent years?

The first wire took place in Düsseldorf in 1986 and Tube followed two years later in 1988. This means that in 2024 we can look back on 38 years of wire and 36 years of Tube.

Both trade fairs have developed very positively in Düsseldorf. They have become an international meeting place for us, a platform. Both trade fairs are among the most international at Messe Düsseldorf . Well over 70 percent of visitors come from abroad. Exhibitors come to Düsseldorf from over 53 nations. Of course, the corona pandemic has put a damper on the development of wire and Tube, but it looks like we will have a wire at the next trade fair in 2024 that will be even better, even bigger than before Corona, and things are also looking very positive for Tube. We will probably reach the pre-crisis level of 2018.

Mr. Ryfisch, thank you very much for the interview.

Photos: Messe Düsseldorf and marketSTEEL