History of AUSTROFOMA
AUSTROFOMA originated from the machinery and equipment demonstration held in Göllersdorf in 1979. At that time, the objective was to present machinery in practical operation as part of the entire work process to an interested professional audience. The event was initiated by the Presidents’ Conference of the Austrian Chambers of Agriculture (now Agriculture Chamber Austria), the Chambers of Agriculture of Upper Austria, Lower Austria, and Styria, as well as representatives of individual companies.
Due to its success, it was agreed to continue this format initially at intervals of two to three years. In 1981, the second machinery and equipment demonstration was held in Göss near Leoben, and for the first time under the AUSTROFOMA brand name. At that time, the event attracted around 1,400 visitors and 25 exhibiting companies. Since 2003, AUSTROFOMA has been organized every four years. Over the years, it has evolved from a purely business-oriented event into the largest advisory and information platform focusing on soil-conserving timber harvesting. Another distinctive feature of AUSTROFOMA is its strong emphasis on mountain forest management.
Most recently, the Chamber of Agriculture of Styria was responsible for organizing AUSTROFOMA at Stuhleck. Around 170 exhibiting companies attracted approximately 21,000 visitors. As such, AUSTROFOMA has become a fixture in the European forestry calendar, alongside events such as ELMIA WOOD in Sweden and Interforst in Germany. In 2027, AUSTROFOMA will be held for the 15th time. The event will take place in the forests of Schlägl Monastery at Hochficht in the Bohemian Forest. In accordance with the established rotation system, the 2027 event is being organized by the Chamber of Agriculture of Upper Austria.