Italian ceramic machinery sees fall in turnover in 2019

According to the preliminary figures published by the Acimac Research Department, the sector’s turnover has fallen to 1.8 billion euros in 2019 (17.5% down on 2018). Investments in Italy are slowing.

2019 marked a hiatus in ceramic technology investments, prompting a slowdown in sales on the part of the Italian ceramic machinery and equipment sector. According to preliminary figures published by the Research Department of Acimac (Italian Ceramic Machinery and Equipment Manufacturers’ Association), the industry is expected to close 2019 with a turnover of 1.78 billion euros.

The biggest falls have been in the Italian domestic market, which following the boom fuelled by the Industry 4.0 tax incentives has dropped by 27.7% to 414 million euros. Exports have fallen by 13.8% to 1.366 billion euros.

“We were expecting a decline in the domestic market given the huge investments already made by Italian manufacturers, but in 2019 several of our export markets experienced a degree of difficulty and adopted a more cautious approach after a positive start to the year, resulting in an overall decline in investments,” said Acimac’s Chairman, Paolo Sassi.

“Our export share remains above 76% and we are confident that some of the production districts we serve all over the world will continue modernising their lines and resume the investments they had put off this year. This will enable them to make higher quality products with added aesthetic value while reconciling the needs of process efficiency and automation with the growing attention to green issues, especially in mature markets,” he added. “In these respects, the Italian ceramic machinery manufacturers have definitely retained their world leadership position.”

The forecasts for 2020 are nonetheless 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.

“According to macroeconomic projections, growth of world GDP will continue to slow,” continued Sassi. “We therefore expect to maintain our positions and consolidate our market shares with respect to our competitors. 2020 will also be the year of Tecnargilla, where the Italian industry will once again have the opportunity to showcase its levels of innovation and technological excellence.”