In 2016, Italy’s production of textile machinery rose five per cent compared to 2015. Domestic sales of Italian manufacturers increased 14 per cent. During the same period, exports grew by four per cent. Adoption of latest technologies, particularly cloud and cyber security technologies, had positive outcomes on productivity.

Orders index for textile machinery for the period from January to March grew 24 per cent, compared to the same period in 2016. The index data for the first three months of the year confirm positive signs seen by businesses in various foreign markets. A renewed climate of enhanced trust is currently perceived in the textile sector, triggered by the government’s commitment to enact a range of significant incentives for the country’s manufacturing system.

Italian textile machinery manufacturers comprise around 300 manufacturers, employing close to 12,000 people and producing machinery for an overall value of about €2.6 billion, with exports amounting to 86 per cent of total sales. Italy is the world’s second largest producer of machinery for the textiles industry. In the production of machinery for tanning, and for the footwear and leather goods industry, Italy accounts for over 50 per cent of world production.