Ipack-Ima industries outpace other sectors

THE supply chain showcased by IPACK-IMA is a collection of industries worth $54 billion in revenues employing 153,000 people, and represents a clear case of success in Italy. All economic indicators point to trade balances exceeding the national industrial average; additionally, as revealed by recent analyses carried out by the Ipack-Ima Observatory studying the industry, it evolves according to dynamics that actually anticipate the economic recovery in the country – which is longer in coming than expected for the Italian manufacturing industry as a whole.

The propensity for exports is a characteristic of this macro-sector: On the whole, 35% of total revenues are generated in markets outside of Italy, with impressive peaks like 78% reached by instrumental goods, which are contributing a great deal to shifting Italy’s trade balance toward surplus. The materials and packaging sectors show a more limited bias for exports at about 18%, in line with other industries.

More in detail, the sector of instrumental goods is worth over $15.5 billion (data 2013), of which no less than 9 are generated in foreign markets. Packaging machinery is the flagship segment of the industry with 48.000 employees and $8 billion in revenues, 83.1% of which derive from exports; it is followed by material handling and logistics machinery ($ 5.3 billion revenues, 71.6% from exports) and food processing machinery ($ 2.2 billion revenues, 76.5% from exports). The packaging industry totals over $39 billion in revenues, of which $6.9 billion is generated outside of Italy, and employs 105.000 people.

In 2013, the industry showcased by IPACK-IMA grew by 2.6% (an overall increase resulting from +4.7% in instrumental goods and +1.8% in packaging) driven by its impressive performance in foreign markets (machinery +8.5%, packaging +2.2%). This in turn resulted in stable employment levels in spite of the protracted weakness of the domestic market, which nonetheless registered a slight increase of 0.5%.

One of the most comprehensive exhibitions of technologies and materials for processing and packaging in the food and non-food industry, ipack-ima will be held in Milan from May 19-23, 2015.