Italian technology plast / October 2026 |
One figure, above all others, captures the geopolitical upheaval currently unfolding in the Italian plastics and rubber machinery sector: Germany’ s historic commercial dominance has never been so precarious. Hampered by a domestic manufacturing crisis that is taking a heavier toll than Italy’ s, the German market has been almost overtaken at the top of the export rankings by US converters. Despite the spectre of customs duties, exports to the US have grown by 9 per cent, leading the two markets to share the top spot in the rankings, each with a value of around 380 million euros. This is the macroeconomic picture that emerged at Villa Baiana( Monticelli Brusati, BS) during the annual General Meeting of Amaplast, the Confindustria body representing some 170 manufacturers in the sector. The event also served to outline the governance structure for the next two-year period( 2026 – 2028), with the election to the General Council of Alessandro Balzanelli, Michele Bandera, Elena Barrale, Alessandra Bosco, Andrea Comerio, Alberto Piva, Fabiola Plebani, Renzo Privitera and Corrado Zanga.
THE SECTOR LANDSCAPE: FROM EXPORT GIANTS TO LOCAL ROOTS The sixth National Statistical Survey – conducted by the MECS- Amaplast Research Centre on 435 manufacturers – forecasts a total turnover of € 4.62 billion for 2025. The 4.2 per cent decline compared with the previous year does not alarm industry insiders: it comes, in fact, after four consecutive years of record figures and at a time of extreme international instability. The sector is underpinned by a typically Italian structural paradox: a
|
third of companies are very small businesses with a turnover of less than 2.5 million( which together account for just 3.8 per cent of production), whilst the largest share of value( 29 per cent) is firmly in the hands of a small 2.5 per cent of large industries with a turnover exceeding 50 million. It is precisely these large firms that are driving internationalisation, with export rates exceeding 84 per cent thanks to well-established commercial networks capable of reaching the most distant markets, whereas small manufacturers tend to focus on European borders. Geographically, Lombardy remains the sector’ s undisputed centre of gravity, hosting 51 per cent of factories, followed by Emilia-Romagna( 15 per cent), Veneto( 14 per cent) and Piedmont( 8 per cent). Among the most in-demand technologies, extruders stand out( 18.2 % of turnover), followed by auxiliary systems( 14.6 %) and moulds and dies( 9.2 %). In terms of customer markets, packaging( primarily food packaging) accounts for almost half of turnover( 47 per cent), followed by the automotive sector at 14 per cent and the construction sector at 11 per cent.
NEW ROUTES AND THE ASIAN‘ HUB’ Whilst total exports fell by 5 %( standing at 3.41 billion), the Far East(+ 12 %) acted as a counterbalance to the slowdown in Europe. In this region, a giant with lightningfast feet is on the move: India, which in 2025 recorded a staggering 40 % increase in orders for Italian technology. The picture is different for China(+ 8 per cent). In the words of Amaplast’ s president, Massimo Margaglione, the Land of the Dragon has long since ceased to be merely
|
Massimo Margaglione, President of Amaplast
an export market or a low-cost manufacturing hub: today, it is the most aggressive industrial and technological competitor of the coming decade. A rival that is moving at an unprecedented pace and threatening an entire supply chain – that of the Italian plastics industry – which, with its 15.3 billion in added value, is the second-largest economic force in Europe.
CRITICISM OF THE‘ GREEN DEAL’ AND THE CENTRALITY OF THE HU- MAN BEING It is precisely competition with Asia that gives rise to profound political reflection. Margaglione has expressed strong reservations about Brussels’ handling of the ecological transition( from the Green Deal to the PPWR packaging regulation). The accusation is that it has succumbed to a purely ideological approach, neglecting economic pragmatism. Imposing extremely strict constraints on European manufacturing without protecting it, whilst importing from countries such as
China – where 60 per cent of production relies on coal – risks turning into a“ morally satisfying but strategically ineffective paradox”, effectively resulting in the export of factories and jobs outside the EU. According to Amaplast’ s CEO, Europe must choose whether to be merely a large trading market or to become a true industrial power capable of defending its own supply chains. The Chairman’ s final point concerned technological evolution and the impact of Artificial Intelligence in factories. Whilst acknowledging the potential for automation and efficiency, Margaglione drew a clear distinction between the power of data and human wisdom. Recalling that machines will never be able to replace prudence, a sense of justice and empathy, he called on entrepreneurs to put the one irreplaceable asset back at the centre: human capital.“ Doing business means taking on responsibilities that go far beyond the balance sheet.”
|
|
024 |
www. plastmagazine. it |