Good news from industry - Ipack-Ima Observatory

In the second half of 2013 the economic crisis, which began in 2008, began to show signs of abating at the macroeconomic level, and the expectations for GDP growth in 2014 are optimistic.

The evidence of the recovery is sizeable, inasmuch as observed in both production phases of the chain, both of which probed by the Observatory: indeed the balances of both the machinery, materials and service providers, as well as the users of these technologies indicate a turnaround, while both groupings are optimistic in their forecasts.
The ratings are significant for two reasons. Firstly, as pointed out by Giampaolo Vitali of Gruppo Economisti d’Impresa and curator of the economic report, the business communities involved in the production of machinery, materials and industrial services follow the cycle of capital goods, linked to the performance of investments and, therefore, to the economic expectations component, or that is the variable that determines most of the investment choices made by the small and medium-sized firms.
Secondly, because the Observatory analyses the large Italian mechanical engineering sector using a disaggregated approach, by machinery “target area” and not only with reference to the “production sector” of the same. Hence, as well as underlining the originality of the work, according to Guido Corbella (CEO of Ipack-Ima SpA) comparisons between the feelings of technology producers and users provides data of absolute interest, which may help enterprises to evaluate scenarios and devise technology turnover strategies.
 
Balance for 2013 and forecasts for the first half of 2014
The technology supplier companies examined show a positive balance for the second half of 2013: both in turnover and in terms of exports, the balance between concerns showing growth and showing decline being clearly in favour of the former. Numerous concerns are seen to maintain the levels of turnover and exports registered in the first half of the year. Even the “employment” variable is seen to be on the up, while considering that three-quarters of the companies concerned declare substantial stability as regards the same.
In this picture the component of foreign demand confirms overriding importance in its contribution to Italian industry turnover, with the Italian service and materials supply sectors putting in the best performance in terms of exports, Pharma, Meat, Grain Based Food and Confectionery business communities putting in particularly positive results.

The prevalence of positive feedback on the performance of exports and turnover is even more pronounced in technology user concerns, this in both the food and non food fields.
Details on individual business communities show a particularly high proportion of companies with the balance for the second half of 2013 outstripping that of the previous six months: 71% of Pharma companies, 54% of Meat concerns, 45% of GBF companies, in terms of turnover; 47% of Pharma companies and 43% of companies of Hygiene & Beauty as well as Vegetable & Fruit concerns in terms of exports. As already mentioned, expectations regarding the first half of 2014 are positive and evenly spread over the sectors involved. Technology suppliers generally expect an upturn in turnover and exports, where the optimists outrank the pessimists, and with the majority of concerns at any rate forecasting stable figures.
As regards forecasts by Ipack-Ima technology users in terms of turnover and aboveall in terms of exports, here too the optimists outweigh the pessimists. The leading role of foreign demand in the recovery of the Italian economy is thus confirmed.