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The Italian manufacturing technologies and robotics industry

Forum at Imperial College presents Italian manufacturing technologies and robotics to the British market

The Italian machine-tools, robotics and automation industry was presented today in London at a forum entitled “Manufacturing Technologies and Robotics: the Future is Now”, organised by UCIMU-Sistemi Per Produrre, the association of Italian manufacturers of machine tools, robots and automation systems, and the Italian Trade Agency, in the elegant setting of Imperial College.

The Italian machine-tool industry is positioned comfortably in fourth place among global rankings of constructors and in third place among exporters. Its choice of London as the platform for presenting its achievements and potential is a response to growing demand from the UK market, which is undergoing a steadily accelerating process of reindustrialisation in the wake of the Brexit vote. With 32,000 employees, 400 businesses and a turnover of over €8bn in 2017, the Italian manufacturing technologies and robotics industry exports around 60% of its products, which are prized by foreign markets for their technological content, customisation and first-class customer service both before and after purchase.

The Italian manufacturing and robotics sector is already widely associated with high standards, in part thanks to the measures introduced by the government’s industrial plan, Industria 4.0. The sector is increasingly becoming known for its digital dimension, which translates into greater automation and interconnection between machines and processes, a development of great interest to British partners looking to upgrade their manufacturing facilities with cutting-edge technology.

There is greater competition too, thanks to super- and hyper-amortisations and robust demand, and these are the concepts at the base of the London Forum, organised by UCIMU-Sistemi per Produrre and the Italian Trade Agency, which will take place tomorrow and will be attended by representatives from institutions, industry and universities from both Italy and the UK.

Opening speeches were given at the event this morning by Raffaele Trombetta, the Italian ambassador to London; Massimo Carboniero, the head of UCIMU-Sistemi Per Produrre; Roberto Luongo, the director of the Italian Trade Agency in London; and Mike Berry, a board member of the Manufacturing Technologies Association.

This was followed by a discussion between Keith Hodgkinson, the deputy director of manufacturing, defence and marine at the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, and Stefano Firpo, the director general for industrial policy, competitiveness and SMEs at the Italian Ministry of Economic Development, who joined the discussion by videolink from Rome.

The performance and strong points of Italian companies in the sector, as well as the projects and initiatives developed by UCIMU aimed specifically at the British market, will be discussed by Carboniero, who leads the delegation of Italian businesses that will be presenting their products and services. The delegation includes representatives from Pietro Carnaghi, Mandelli Sistemi, Balance Systems, Omera, Marposs, Comau, Sisma, Ghiringhelli, MCM and Prima Industrie.

Ambassador Trombetta noted that there is already strong cooperation between Italy and the UK in the manufacturing sector, with the mechanical industry and capital goods representing the largest share of Italian exports to the UK, worth €3.1bn in 2017.

The ambassador also made reference to the white paper published by the British government last year on the new industrial plan. The plan emphasises research and development in the manufacturing sector, with a view to rebalancing the local economy. Against this backdrop, said the ambassador, Italy could complement the British manufacturing sector and become a strategic ally for the future, given its role as a global leader in the manufacture of complex machines and in the sector of automation in general.

Speeches were also given by representatives of top British and Italian universities and think tanks, including Milan Polytechnic, Federico II University of Naples, the Italian Technological Institute in Genoa, S. Anna di Pisa High School, and Turin Polytechnic.

Carboniero explained that the purpose of the forum was to present to British partners the opportunities offered by new Italian technology, in part through direct testimonials from some of the leading companies in the sector. The aim, he said, was to ensure that the audience left with a clearer idea of what can be achieved together by adopting the spirit of collaboration and partnership that drives Italian businesses operating on international markets.

Luongo said that the event was an excellent opportunity to present leading Italian technologies to the sophisticated British market. He said that UCIMU-Sistemi Per Produrre’s enthusiastic collaboration on this initiative confirmed the value of the project, which will doubtless be a springboard for fruitful relations and dialogue between the two countries.

For further information – contacts:

– Claudia Mastrogiuseppe, head of external relations and Press Office: +39 0226 255 299, +39 348 261 8701, press@ucimu.it
– Massimo Civello, external relations and Press Office: +39 0226 255 266, +39 348 781 2176, press2@ucimu.it
– Federico Bianchi, head of Press Office, Embassy of Italy in London: press.italyinuk@esteri.it

 

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