"With around 130 Italian companies participating in ITMA ASIA + CITME 2016 has opened a plethora of opportunities for exhibitors and visitors in terms of tech exchange and innovative capabilities. Spread across 5,400 sq. mt, Italian companies are exhibiting as a part of the National Sector Group, organised by ACIMIT (the Association of Italian Textile Machinery Manufacturers) and ICE-Italian Trade Agency. The four Italian clusters are in the spinning and winding (Hall 1), nonwovens (Hall 2), digital printing (Hall 5) and finishing machinery areas (Hall 6)."

With around 130 Italian companies participating in ITMA ASIA + CITME 2016 has opened a plethora of opportunities for exhibitors and visitors in terms of tech exchange and innovative capabilities. Spread across 5,400 sq. mt, Italian companies are exhibiting as a part of the National Sector Group, organised by ACIMIT (the Association of Italian Textile Machinery Manufacturers) and ICE-Italian Trade Agency. The four Italian clusters are in the spinning and winding (Hall 1), nonwovens (Hall 2), digital printing (Hall 5) and finishing machinery areas (Hall 6).

The high number of Italian exhibitors testified a positive outlook on the future of Asian markets, and China in particular. Asia is one of the most crucial markets for Italian textile machinery manufacturers, capturing around 45 per cent of their sales abroad. “The high number of Italian exhibitors in Shanghai shows that our companies are confident in a further growth of the Asian markets, and China in particular. Compared to the last edition of ITMA ASIA, the space booked by Italian exhibitors has grown by 13 per cent,” saysRaffaella Carabelli, President, ACIMIT.

Betting big on China

The Chinese market is the prime destination for Italian exports. In the first half of 2016, the value of Italian machinery exported to China totaled €152 million (+11 per cent over the previous year), around 17 per cent of Italian total exports. The other main destinations of the area for Italian companies are India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan. The demand for machinery in Asia focusses mainly on machines capable of combining savings in production costs with respect to environmental issues. “Visitors at ITMA ASIA + CITME will once again be able to ascertain in person the extremely high quality and uniquely innovative character of Italian technology on display”, states Raffaella Carabelli. “Less than a year from ITMA Milan, Italian machinery manufacturers will be present in Shanghai with further proposals, aimed at providing rigorous production standards while cutting costs for energy, water, chemical products and other raw materials.”

Sustainable technologies at the fore

Around 40 Italian machinery manufacturers have signed up to ACIMIT’s ‘Sustainable technologies’ project, committing themselves to supplying increasingly sustainable machinery, both from an economic and environmental standpoint. The project is an initiative supported by the Ministry of Economic Development and by the ICE-Italian Trade Agency and is documented on the new website www.green-label.it, which was presented during the ACIMIT press conference at ITMA ASIA. “A website is an additional tool made available to textile operators, aimed at providing a better understanding of what we want to achieve in terms of sustainability,” comments ACIMIT’s President.

In addition to the 40 companies, other Italian exhibitors at ITMA ASIA are also displaying the progress made by their technology concerning cost reduction and production resource savings to visitors of the most important show in the sector in Asia, confirming Italian industry at the top for the supply of sustainable processes.

Asia, the growth market

ACIMIT brings together majority of Italian textile machinery companies (which account for 80 per cent of Italy’s turnover), has been organising active promotional program in Asia, to support the associated companies in their sales efforts. This program is run in cooperation with ICE-Italian Trade Agency.

Italy, with its high-tech and eco-friendly manufacturers, is one of the most important player in the textile machinery industry. “Italian high-quality machines will foster China textile industry’s quality and will provide environmental conservation,” explains Claudio Pasqualucci, Italian Trade Commissioner in Shanghai. China is implementing policies for the reduction of carbon emissions. “The new measures for low carbon economy are: low energy consumption, low material consumption, low-emission and low-pollution, one of the future choices in the economic development. For that reason, we think Italian textile machines eco-friendly technology, should be appropriate with Chinese policies.