2022 to an end: the sector takes stock
The whole world is in environmental, pandemic, war-related and economic crisis. Nevertheless, 2022 closes really positively for Made-in-Italy packaging machines, which widely surpass pre-Covid performances.
With a 8,2-billion turnover and an export which amounts to nearly 80%, Italy confirms its leadership in the production of packaging machinery, especially for food and beverages.
After all, the business volume related to the packaging solutions for the food & beverage industry, which in the past two years already proved to be the driving branch, is globally worth 15.3 billion euros, with a 2.1% expected annual growth within 2025.
These data depict a scenery which is almost incredible if we consider that the industry had to face the pandemic and, thus, components which are difficult to find, delays and ever-higher costs first of all, and then the Ukrainian war and the resulting increase of energy prices and row materials.
And the fruit and vegetable sector in particular had to deal with quite-complex challenges: in fact, Eastern markets closing has worldwide rearranged trade flows, redirecting in Europe more or less 4 million tons of fruit and vegetables, causing an excess supply and a strong price pressure on local products.
But the sector not only held up, but it also excelled, investing in digitalisation, automation, mechanised processing and in innovation aimed at the ecological transition which, we all agree, can’t stop, must remain our priority. That is what Nomisma says: sustainable companies register a revenue 10% above average.
In conclusion, exactly as the vice president of UCIMA, the association of Italian manufacturers of automatic packaging machinery, wishes: “Made-in-Italy packaging, as world leader and pioneer of the development of sustainable solutions, has everything it takes to become the motive force for a green transformation of packaging materials and technologies on an international scale”.