Industrial Automation Magazine India

UCIMU Meeting Strong recovery in Italian machine tools industry in 2021

Published on : Monday 19-07-2021

In 2021, the Italian machine tool manufacturing industry registers a strong recovery of all economic indicators.

Sesto San Giovanni, July 2021: In 2020, the Italian manufacturing industry of machine tools, robots and automation systems reported a considerable fall of all main economic indicators. Nonetheless, it was able to maintain the positions gained in the international rankings of the sector, where it confirmed its fourth place among manufacturing countries and among exporting countries and its fifth place in the ranking of consumer countries, as a testimony to the importance of the Italian market in the international scenario.

The year 2021 is showing a completely different trend, confirming the recovery of business activity, both in Italy and abroad, since the first months, as highlighted by the data regarding the index of orders in the first half year 2021 and based on the forecasts for the year end.

This is in brief the framework illustrated by the president of UCIMU-Sistemi Per Produrre, Barbara Colombo, this afternoon, on the occasion of the Annual Members’ Meeting, which was attended as speakers by Gregorio De Felice, Chief Economist of Intesa Sanpaolo, and by Mauro Alfonso, Managing Director of SIMEST.

Heavily hit by the public health emergency outbreak in the first months of the year, the Italian industry of the sector experienced a strong downturn of all main economic indicators in 2020.

According to the final data processed by the Economic Studies Department & Business Culture of UCIMU, in 2020, the output of machine tools, robots and automation systems reached 5,182 million euro, recording a 20.4% fall versus 2019. The outcome was due both to the reduction of manufacturers’ deliveries on the domestic market, down by 20.3% to 2,321 million euro, and by the downturn of exports, which amounted to 2,861 million euro, i.e. 20.5% less than in the previous year.

In 2020, the main export markets for the Italian product offering were the United States (374 million euro, -11.3%), Germany (289 million euro, -23.1%), China (224 million euro, -26.1%), France (158 million euro -32.2%), Poland (143 million euro, -17.2%), Turkey (100 million euro, +29%), Russia (100 million euro, -16%), Spain (95 million euro, -34.1%).

In 2020, the Italian machine tool consumption collapsed by 26.6% to 3,561 million euro, continuing the negative trend started in 2019.

The year 2021 is having a completely different trend, showing signs of a strong recovery since the first months.

Based on the forecasts elaborated by the Economic Studies Department & Business Culture of UCIMU, the output of machine tools, robots and automation systems should grow by 10.9% to 5.7 billion euro. Exports should attain 3.1 billion euro, i.e. 9.4% more than in the previous year.

Consumption should also increase, almost reaching 4 billion euro, corresponding to a 10.9% rise versus 2020. The dynamism of Italian demand should drive the deliveries of manufacturers, expected to go up to 2.6 billion euro (+12.7%), and imports, which should amount to 1.3 billion euro (+7.6%).