UCIMU report confirms 2014 the year of trend reversal for the Italian manufacturing industry
The year was particularly good for the industry manufacturing machine tools, robots and automation systems. The report also indicates good prospects for 2015.
The Italian industry manufacturing machine tools, robots and automation systems closes 2014 with a positive result. Production is growing and Italian consumption starts again, registering a double-figure increase and driving the manufacturers’ deliveries and import. Export is stable. The forecasts for 2015 are positive. This is the scenario described by President Luigi Galdabini, on the occasion of the year-end press conference of UCIMU-SISTEMI PER PRODURRE.
According to the preliminary figures processed by the Studies Dept. of UCIMU SISTEMI PER PRODURRE, in 2014 production achieved 4,695 million euro, reporting a 4.6% growth compared to the value of the previous year.
Exports confirmed to remain on the level of 2013, reaching 3,360 million euro (-0.7%), penalized by the general slowdown of the world trade and, in particular, by the decision of the European Union to limit exports of machine tools to Russia, as a consequence of the tension between the Federation and Ukraine.
According to UCIMU processing on the ISTAT data, in the first nine months of the year, the main destination countries of “Made in Italy” in the sector resulted to be China, (-18.6%) 264 million euro, the United States (-8.4%) 258 million, Germany (+0.2%) 231 million, Russia (-16%) 110 million, France (+0.8%) 102 million, Turkey (+0.6%) 81 million, Poland (+17.1%) 71 million, India (-35.5%) 62 million, Mexico (+11%) 61 million, Brazil (-37.3%) 60 million.
A remarkable increase was recorded in Italian consumption, back to a positive sign, which attained 2,420 million euro, i.e. +18.2% vs. 2013, highlighting the recovery of investments made by the Italian manufacturing industry in production systems.
Manufacturers have primarily taken advantage of this trend: their deliveries in the domestic market grew by 21.1%, to 1,335 million euro. On the other hand, imports recorded a lower increase (+14.9%), amounting to 1,085 million euro.
After six years of growth, the ratio export/production went down to 71.6%, due to the recovery of the domestic market, towards which the Italian manufacturers have immediately re-oriented a part of their supply offering.
According to the forecasts in 2015 the positive trend of the Italian industry in the sector will see an increase for all the main economic indicators.
Even manufacturers’ deliveries will keep on growing, achieving 1,390 million euro, marking a +4.1%, driven by the positive trend of domestic consumption which will reach 2,530 million euro, i.e. +4.5% vs. 2014. Also imports will benefit from the bright demand expressed by the Italian users, increasing to 1,140 million euro, +5.1% vs. 2014.
Luigi Galdabini, President of UCIMU-SISTEMI PER PRODURRE, commented: “The recovery which had started at the end of 2013, materialized in 2014. Among all indicators, the most relevant datum is that of domestic consumption which has finally come back to a positive sign, showing the new willingness to invest of the Italian users. This trend, together with the positive forecasts for 2015, is an excellent omen for those who will participate in EMO MILANO 2015, the world exhibition of the sector on scene at fieramilano from 5 to 10 October next year”.
“On the other hand – stated the President of UCIMU-SISTEMI PER PRODURRE – we cannot hide the fact that the increase in the Italian demand of production systems was stimulated by the introduction of the New Sabatini Law. In its first eight months of operation it financed purchases (not only of machine tools) for an amount of 2,300 million euro. Indeed the success of this instrument, – added Galdabini – capable of ensuring financing at cut rates, proves that the demand for production systems also and still exists in Italy. The problem is rather the loss of cash flow for the companies that wish to invest, as they do not have any financial resources. Indeed the validity of the provision, really capable of creating great optimism in the market, has pushed UCIMU-SISTEMI PER PRODURRE to fight in order to obtain the re-financing also for next year. For 2015, the New Sabatini Law has been refinanced for 12 million euro only, but it will go up to 31.6 million in 2016 and to 46.6 million in 2017”.
“This said, however it is necessary to stress again the need for specific measures capable of supporting, in a structured way, the relaunch of the domestic market and of the Italian manufacturing sector that is often working with obsolete production systems so far. A complementary action to the New Sabatini Law should be the liberalization of depreciation on purchased capital goods and the revision of coefficients for its calculation, dating back to 1988”.
“On the other hand – concluded Galdabini – the recovery of machine tool consumption in Italy is an issue of great interest not only for manufacturers, but indeed it is and must always be among the priorities of our country, whose manufacturing industry is operating with more and more obsolete and less efficient production technologies. To avoid a loss in competitiveness in our country system, we need to consider an incentive programme to support the replacement of obsolete machinery. The provision, which was favourably considered by Vice-Minister Calenda, could actually give a shake to machinery consumption, but most of all it would encourage the necessary modernisation of production plants, in response to the companies’ requirements of higher productivity and of compliance with stricter and stricter regulations in terms of energy saving and improvement of safety standards at the workplace”.
