Excellent performance of the Italian packaging machinery industry that with a 10% growth achieves a turnover of more than 1.3 billion EUR. Food and Beverage confirm themselves as the main outlet sectors.
According to the data collected by the research department of UCIMA (the sector’s trade association member of Confindustria), at the end of 2016 the sector’s main indicators showed strong growth.
The health of the Italian industry is largely confirmed by positive numbers: total turnover exceeded 6.6 billion EUR; exports account for 80% of sales (+5.8%) with 5.3 billion EUR; the Italian market surged to 1.3 billion EUR (+9.8% compared to the previous year).
The number of companies operating in the sector also increased, reaching:601 compared to the 588 of 2015, with employment risen by 1738 units (+6) to a total of 29.644 people. From an industrial point of view, Italian packaging and wrapping machines manufacturers perfectly reflect the structure of the Italian industry.66.4% of companies have revenues of below 6 million EUR, and account for just 9.7% of the sector’s total turnover.
The 51 largest companies (with turnovers above 25 million EUR) account for 68% of the total turnover. Most companies are located in Emilia Romagna (36.9%), a region accounting for 62.1% of the total turnover. Next come Lombardy (28.5% of companies and 17.6% of turnover), Veneto (11.6% companies and 9.1% turnover) and Piedmont (10.1% companies and 5.7% turnover).
The growth trend of 2016 and the first months of 2017 inspires confidence, “and confirms the growth trend that has been under way for some years now”, states UCIMA’s Chairman Enrico Aureli. “The data available for the first quarter of the year show a 13% growth in the sector’s turnover, and we are pleased with Italian domestic sales, also by virtue of the Industry 4.0 incentive plan.
The bursting health of the packaging machinery sector is confirmed also by the last forecasts of our Research Department, which for the three-year period 2017-2019 point to an average annual growth in sales of 4.8%”.
The International market.  The extensive presence on foreign markets of the Italian industry is the strong point of Italian Technologies, contending the leadership in innovation and market presence with German companies.
One machine out of every fine sold worldwide is made in Italy. The most important market is the European Union, accounting for 37.2% of total turnover (1969,8 million EUR), followed by Asia with a value of 1236 million EUR and a 23.4% share of turnover.
The North American market ranks third, with its 593.4 million EUR (11.2%).Next come South America (507.6 million EUR – 9.6%), non-EU Europe (495.6 million EUR – 9.4%), Africa and Oceania (490.9 – 9.2%).The United States, France, and Germany remain the top three individual countries, followed by Poland, United Kingdom, Spain, China, Turkey, Mexico and Russia.
The domestic market. Italian domestic sales show the same positive trend of recent years, also thanks to the further boots provided by the government’s Industry 4.0 incentive scheme launched in the second half of last year.
The 9.8% growth in 2016 was followed by a further 6.5% upturn in the first quarter of 2017. As for the breakdown of turnover among the various client sectors, food and beverage maintained its dominant position in 2016 accounting for 57.4% of total turnover. The two sub-sectors head the rankings.
Food is the largest client sector, making up 29.8% (1970 million EUR) of total turnover, with an export share of 75%.Beverage ranks second, with 27.6% of total turnover, with exports accounting for 85% of the segment’s sales.
Ipack-Ima 2018: joint venture Ucima-Fiera Milan. The list of exhibitors that have already registered to take part in next year’s Ipack-Ima and Meat-Tech, due to be held in the Fiera Milano exhibition centre from May 29 to June 1st, 2018, is already available on-line (www.ipackima.com).
Registrations confirm the multi-sector nature of the exhibition: 22% of the exhibitors belong to the pasta, bakery and milling business community; 13% to the confectionery business community; 25% to the fresh & convenience segment; and 10% to the liquid filling segment (10%); plus a large presence of non-food companies.
There are also many companies operating in other packaging areas, such as labelling and tracking, with solutions ranging from food safety to mass-production and anti-forgery.Meat-Tech, the only Italian show devoted to the meat industry, will be presenting the last innovations in terms of processing, packaging, preservation and refrigeration technologies, along with a wide range of ingredients, spices and additives for meat processing.
