Acimac (Italian Ceramic Machinery and Equipment Manufacturers’ Association)

Italian ceramic machinery sees fall in turnover in 2019

According to the preliminary figures published by Acimac, turnover of the Italian ceramic machinery and equipment manufacturers fell to € 1.78 bill. in 2019 (17.5% down on 2018).

The biggest falls were recorded in the Italian domestic market (–27.7 % to € 414 mill.) following the boom fuelled by the Industry 4.0 tax incentives. Exports fell by 13.8% to € 1.366 bill.

According to Acimac’s Chairman, Paolo Sassi, the export share remained above 76%. He was confident that some of the investments that had been put off worldwide would now be made in 2020. The challenge for the ceramics industry is to make higher-quality products with added aesthetic value while reconciling the needs of process efficiency and automation and paying increasing attention to “green” issues, especially in mature markets.

The forecasts for 2020 are very cautious. Areas of concern include the continued geopolitical turbulence in a number of markets, tariffs and trade tensions at an international level, and the failure of the Italian government’s policies to adequately address companies’ growth needs.

Sassi expects for 2020 that the Acimac members will consolidate their market shares with respect to their competitors. At Tecnargilla taking place this year, the Italian industry will once again have the opportunity to showcase its levels of innovation and technological excellence.

Acimac
www.acimac.it