The structural characteristics

The structural characteristics of the Italian machine tool, robot and automation manufacturing industry are the same as those observed within the national production system: small-sized enterprises, high propensity to export and high-quality product offerings.

Machine tools

According to the survey conducted by UCIMU-SISTEMI PER PRODURRE, in 2022 (the year to which the latest data are referred), 49% of machine tool manufacturing enterprises invoiced less than 12.5 million euro; 67% of them had less than 100 employees. 

However, the most structured companies provided the highest contribution to production and exports: those with more than 100 employees, representing only 33% of the total number of units operating in Italy, manufactured 78.5% and exported 84.1% of the total.

Likewise, the enterprises that invoiced more than 25 million euro, (corresponding to 30.5% of the total number) manufactured 80.1% of production and covered 84.4% of Italian machine tool exports.

The geographic distribution of the sector was consistent with that of the Italian production system, proving that it is essential for machine tool manufacturers to be located close to the enterprises of their customers and suppliers: most of the sector production facilities are in Lombardy (46.6%), Triveneto (20.5%), Emilia Romagna (17%) and Piedmont (13.6%). To the total turnover composition, Lombardy contributed by 48.9%, Triveneto by 19.5%,

Piedmont by 16.7% and Emilia Romagna by 13.9%. The enterprises from Piedmont showed the highest propensity to export (corresponding to 50.9% versus a sector average of 48.6%).The main user industry of machine tools was that of metal products - which includes subcontractors, building and construction components and other products different from machinery (34.8%) - followed by the automotive industry (21.2%).

Robotics

In 2022, the breakdown by size classes between large-sized enterprises (turnover higher than 5 million euro) and small/medium-sized enterprises (turnover up to 5 million euro) confirmed the predominance of large-sized enterprises that account for 80% of the total.

Lombardy and Piedmont are the regions with the highest density of companies operating in the robotics market, respectively with 44.4% and 30.8% of the enterprises. Piedmont again provided the highest contribution to the total turnover (56.3%) and had the highest number of employees (66.7%).