Allied in the name of innovation

Ipack-Ima, Meat-Tech, Plast, Print4all, Intralogistica Italia 29 May - 1 June 2018, Fiera Milano, Milan (I)

Allied in the name of innovation
Roughly six months away from the sector’s capital event - born out of the conjunction of Ipack-Ima, Meat-Tech, Plast, Print4all, Intralogistics Italy- over 1,600 direct exhibitors from 42 countries (totaling 112,800 square meters of floorspace) are already confirmed. Promoted by Fiera Milano, “The Innovation Alliance” project will highlight the technological excellence of instrumental machinery, the quality of materials and the efficiency of services.

In Milan, in 2018, the supply chain’s business grows by promoting shared development strategies: the Innovation Alliance is a fair project that brings together five events - Ipack-Ima, Meat-Tech, Plast, Print4All and Intralogistica Italia - which will be held simultaneously at Fiera Milano Rho 29 May -1 June 2018. The five fairs represent synergistic and complementary sectors, all parts of the same supply chain: from plastic processing technologies to goods handling and storage.
An industry - according to the aggregate data of the preliminary balance for 2017, drawn up on Acimga, Amaplast, Anima, Argi and Ucima sources - worth 23.6 billion euros in terms of overall turnover and that employs over 70,000 individuals. This said, industrial machinery constitutes, above all, a powerful driving force for “Made by Italy” exports, considering that an average of 70% of the technologies produced in these sectors is exported.

An essential industrial community that, owing to the offer provided by national and international leading brands, will be systematically on display for the first time at an event dedicated to the production chain as a whole, was created to be a natural multiplier of opportunities, as well as a precious occasion for networking and business, thus underlining the transversality of a sector dedicated to innovation.
The effectiveness of a project. Both the Italian and international markets have welcomed with keen interest the proposals at the basis of the Innovation Alliance, given the sizeable figures already attained six months from the engagement. To date in fact, taken together the shows that make up the project promoted by Fiera Milano cover a total of 112,800 square meters, with 1,662 direct exhibitors from 42 countries, and with further prospects for growth in the coming months.
The importance of these companies for Italy is borne witness to by the estimated results for 2017, all positive.

Among the sectors represented by the Innovation Alliance, industrial printing and converting machines show an increase of 13% with a turnover of 3.2 billion euros (aggregated Acimga and Argi data). The rubber and plastic processing machine field is worth 4.45 billion euros, showing an increase of 5% in turnover (source: Amaplast). The packaging and processing industry, with a total value of 10.8 billion euros, shows growth of + 5.9% in turnover (source: Ipack-Ima Study Center, from Ucima and Anima data). Internal logistics has also grown by 4%, with total turnover standing at 5.2 billion euros (source: Anima).

Focus on Ipack-Ima, with optimism
Organized by Ipack Ima Srl (an affiliate company with UCIMA -Italian Union of Automatic Packaging and Wrapping Machinery Builders Association and Fiera Milano as its stakeholders) in 2018 IPACK-IMA, the processing and packaging technology show, will reach its 24th edition.
As is clear from the most recent Ipack-Ima Observatory* - carried out by the Ucima study centre, involving the processing and packaging machinery manufacturers and equipment and materials suppliers - the overall picture presented by the sector is undoubtedly positive.
Aboveall striking are the Italian domestic sales, well above expectations, driven by government incentives on purchases of capital equipment. Companies also reported a change in the composition of sales registered in the first half of 2017, when foreign sales grew on average less than domestic sales, to then realign in the second half of 2017. The Observatory also shows the companies’ perception of potential risks, where tighter competition, commodity costs, the tax system, labor and service costs emerge as dominant.

The data collected in the first six months of 2017 and yearly closure forecasts on the trends and the general feeling of the Italian processing and packaging industry render an overall picture of confidence, also reflected in the number of sign-ups to the fair. Roughly six months from the opening of the event more than 800 companies have already confirmed their participation and are working to present their latest innovations at the fair.

* Ipack-Ima Observatory Business study conducted on a semiannual basis on a sample of companies operating along the entire processing and packaging chain (processing and packaging machine manufacturers, component suppliers, materials producers) and serving the various industrial sectors, subdivided into established business communities (Fresh & Convenience Foods; Meat & Fish; Pasta, Bakery, Milling; Beverage; Confectionery; Home & Industrial Chemicals; Health & Personal Care.