Italian packaging machinery sales top 8 billion euros

The Italian packaging machinery manufacturer Ucima are the only Italian capital goods producers to report growth in revenues in 2019 (+2.2%), thereby confirming the world leadership position of a niche mechanical engineering sector which for the first time in its history has broken the 8 billion euros revenue barrier.

The number of operative companies decreased in 2019 (down 2.4% to 616) as a result of the series of M&As underway in the sector, while the number of employees rose to 33,304 (+2.1%). 79% of the sector’s turnover was generated abroad, amounting to 6.35 billion euros, an increase of 2.3% compared to 2018. This export growth is half a percentage point higher than that of domestic Italian sales (+1.8% in 2019 to 1.69 billion euros). The European Union remains the main destination area for Italian packaging machinery and accounts for 37.5% of total turnover (2,383 million euros) including sales in Italy, followed in second place by Asia with a value of 1,402 million euros and a 22.1% share, then North America in third place with 814 million euros (12.8%). With respect to 2018, non-EU Europe (637 million euros; 10% of the total) has overtaken South America (559 million euros; 8.8%), followed by Africa (449 million euros; 7.1%) and Oceania (107 million euros; 1.7%). These results were revealed in the Ucima-MECS Research Department’s 8th Statistical Survey, unveiled at the annual meeting held today in Modena.

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