MACHINERY, CSC: EXPORTS WORTH 32.1 BN, ADDITIONAL POTENTIAL OF 8 BN
Cimmino: 'Time to act is now: companies and institutions work together to consolidate Italy's role as a global leader'

Rome, 21 January 2025 - Italian exports of Automation, Creativity and Technology (ACT) intensive machinery are worth 32.1 billion, with an estimated growth potential of 8 billion. This is highlighted by the second edition of INGENIUM, the Confindustria Studies Centre report produced with the support of Federmacchine, presented this morning in Milan.

Advanced markets absorb EUR 21.6 billion, while emerging ones 10.5 billion. The Americas register the highest growth, with Mexico the largest market. The additional potential is distributed rather evenly between advanced (4.6 billion) and emerging countries (3.3 billion), suggesting that companies should increase their market shares in both. In the advanced United States lead (+760 million), followed by Germany and France (+470 million each). Among the emerging countries China (+760 million), India (+472 million) and Turkey (+364 million).

Realising the export potential is not automatic, but requires an increase in production, driven by investments. A coordinated effort by companies and institutions is therefore needed to foster a generalised strengthening of the production system and its competitiveness: while companies should commit themselves to allocating resources to productive investments, institutions should spur this process by mitigating the elements of uncertainty e providing incentives for all companies that decide to reinvest their profits for the purchase of capital goods.

La digitisationthen plays a crucial role: strengthening it is also essential to integrate AI into existing industries. In 2023, however, the Italian artificial intelligence market only grew by 52%, reaching EUR 760 million; in fact, the gap with the US and China remains significant. With only 5% of investments compared to the US, Europe lags behind and Italy struggles especially among SMEs: only 18% have launched AI projects compared to 61% of large companies.

In an increasingly uncertain environment is finally fundamental making the best use of free trade agreements already concluded by the EU and finalise others, such as the one with Mercosur, to gain further preferential access to strategic markets. It is also necessary to strengthen trade ties with European countries and identify areas for advanced collaboration with the United States, also to face competition from integrated trading blocs such as the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) in Asia.

"The INGENIUM Report highlights the decisive impact of geopolitical factors on trade and investment flows. Tensions, conflicts and global challenges, such as energy and technology supply, influence the choices of governments and companies. With the new US administration taking office, we expect global dynamics to accelerate, while we hope that Europe will regain the courage to make momentous choices. The time to act is now: companies and institutions must work together to translate the identified potential into actual exports and consolidate Italy's role as a global leader. This is why we hope that a mission will be organised as soon as possible in Mexico, which according to SCS analysis is among the top five emerging countries in terms of export potential for ACT goods, with a margin of improvement of 281 million Euros. Any delay could translate into lost opportunities for our industrial system,' said Barbara Cimmino, Vice President for Export and Investment Attraction of Confindustria.

"The Italian capital goods industry has always ensured a decisive contribution to the country's trade balance, operating in markets that are very varied in terms of geography, culture and type of demand. The ever-increasing need to operate in the international arena and the growing complexity that this activity brings with it, partly determined by the general conditions of uncertainty, require a careful study of the context. The results that have emerged from this second edition of INGENIUM are a useful tool for understanding which areas have the greatest potential and which business development directions to follow in order to ensure the improvement of the competitiveness of the made-in-Italy sector's offer," he added Bruno Bettelli, President FEDERMACCHINE.