UCIMU: an excellent 2022 for the italian industry of machine tools, robotics and automation. In 2023 the positive trend will continue
15.12.2022 - ASSOCIATION
The growth of the Italian manufacturing industry of machine tools, robots and automation systems is not going to stop. After an extremely positive 2021, the Italian industry of the sector is closing the year 2022 with double-digit increases for almost all main economic indicators. Moreover, a favourable 2023 is expected, although with lower growth rates.
This is in brief what was reported by Barbara Colombo, president of UCIMU-SISTEMI PER PRODURRE, the Italian machine tools, robots and automation systems manufacturers' association, during the usual year-end press conference.
According to the preliminary year’s data processed by the Studies Dept. & Business Culture of UCIMU-SISTEMI PER PRODURRE, in 2022, production attained 7,255 million euro, marking a 14.6% upturn versus the previous year.
The outcome was due to the excellent trend of Italian manufacturers’ deliveries to the domestic market, grown by 27% to 3,980 million euro, as well as to the positive performance of exports, which reached 3,275 million euro, i.e. 2.5% more than in the previous year.
The Italian demand for machine tools, robots and automation systems was really dynamic in 2022 - as it had been in the previous year. With a 31.3% rise, domestic consumption went up to 6,575 million euro, driving not only the deliveries of Italian manufacturers, but also imports (2,595 million euro, +38.5%).
The import/consumption ratio gained about 2 percentage points, standing at 39.5%, however below the “attention threshold” of 40%.
On the foreign front, based on UCIMU processing of the data from the Italian National Statistical Institute (ISTAT), in the period January-August 2022 (latest available data), the major destination markets for the Italian product offering of the sector were the United States (281 million euro, +24.7%), Germany (199 million euro, -15.6%), China (122 million euro, -3.5%), Poland (111 million euro, +4.7%), France (105 million euro, +9.1%). The export/production ratio decreased by about 5 percentage points, accounting for 45.1%
Despite the factors of uncertainty that are troubling the contest, the positive trend should also continue in 2023.
In particular, according to the forecasts carried out by the Studies Dept. & Business Culture of UCIMU, in 2023, production should rise to 7,565 million euro (+4.3% versus 2022), thanks to the upturn registered by exports, which should amount to 3.375 million euro (+3.1%) and thanks to the manufacturers’ deliveries to the domestic market, expected to increase by 5.3% to 4,190 million euro.
Even consumption should keep on growing, totalling 6,820 million euro, corresponding to 3.7% more than in 2022. Although to a lower extent compared with manufacturers’ deliveries, imports should also benefit from the dynamism of domestic demand, marking a 1.3% increase, which should bring their value to 2,630 million euro. The export/production ratio should drop again, standing at 44.6%.
The confirmation that the growth reported in 2022 will continue in 2023, as highlighted in the forecasts, is also evidenced in the analysis of the Italian manufacturers’ order portfolio, which in the first nine months of the year (latest available data) shows 8.1 months of production guaranteed by orders, the highest value ever registered over the last 30 years.
