Preliminary figures compiled by the Mecs - Ucima Research Centre reveal 3.5% sales growth for the Italian packaging technology sector
The Italian packaging technology sector is set to close 2024 with outstanding results. Preliminary figures indicate a total turnover of €9.5 billion, marking a 3.5% increase compared to 2023. This achievement represents the fourth consecutive record year, reaffirming the sector's strategic importance to the national industry.
Exports continue to drive the industry's growth, reaching €7.5 billion, an increase of 3.8% over the previous year and representing approximately 80% of total turnover. The strongest performances were seen in key markets such as Africa and Oceania (+10.3%), Asia (+3.3%) and the European Union (+6.1%). Strong growth was also recorded in individual countries, notably Mexico (+18.8%) and Spain (+11.1%).
Although smaller, the domestic Italian market ended the year on a positive note with sales of €2 billion, up 2.5%.
The outlook for 2025
With 7.6 months of production already secured for the coming year, the sector is looking to the future with confidence, while remaining well aware of the geopolitical and regulatory challenges ahead. The forecasts for 2025 predict further growth, with revenues projected to reach €9.6 billion, solidifying Italy's position as a global leader in the industry.
Ucima's Chairman Riccardo Cavanna commented: "The technological excellence of our companies has continued to drive our success through 2024, a challenging 12 months in which the sector has once again demonstrated its resilience. Exports continue to be the backbone of the industry, but we are also focused on strengthening the domestic market, partly through tools such as the Industry 5.0 plan which has yet to be fully implemented. The recently introduced changes to the incentives may also not fully benefit companies due to the limited time left to access them. In addition, the government's plan to restrict Industry 4.0 incentives in 2025 will certainly not make the situation any easier. Despite these challenges, as an association and as a sector, we remain committed to promoting innovative solutions, particularly through the use of artificial intelligence. Looking ahead, the forecasts for next year are positive and we expect to maintain the strong results achieved this year."
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