The first signs of exit from the Covid emergency, combined with the boost of the incentives linked to Transition 4.0, make the machine tool sector grow. On the domestic market, in the first quarter of the year, Italian manufacturers recorded an increase in orders of 157.9% compared to the same period of the previous year. On the foreign front, orders grew by 30.5%. «The data recorded in this first quarter are certainly positive and allow us to breathe a little after months of great difficulty – observes the president of UCIMU-systems to produce, Barbara Colombo. Having said that, the increases recorded must be well weighted: in fact, they are compared with the results achieved in a period, that of the first part of 2020, which was really difficult because, in fact, from the end of February we found ourselves having to face the first effects of the international pandemic ”. Abroad, the recovery is at different speeds: “China and the United States have a decidedly lively activity, while the euro area countries have only just gotten into gear,” explains Colombo.
The fact that investments in new machine tools and new automation systems are recovering is a good sign for the competitiveness of our production system. “The EMO MILANO 2021 fair, scheduled from 4 to 9 October at Fieramilano Rho, will be an even more important event for us Italian manufacturers (and not only), on the occasion of which we will have to make the most of all the opportunities offered by an event of this caliber that returns to Italy after 6 years and above all after more than a year and a half of forced stop at international exhibitions ». At the moment, the event has gathered subscriptions from 28 countries around the world. But there is some margin of uncertainty. “For this reason we ask the government to be able to have clear and timely indications as soon as possible – concludes Colombo – because, if it is true that EMO MILANO 2021 is still six months away, it is equally true that the organization of the presence at an event of this type must be defined now ».