Woodworking machinery: a Made in Italy excellence

Woodworking machinery is just one of the many technological excellences of Made in Italy.

Machinery is one of the areas in which Italian SMEs have always been able to stand out, enjoying continuous success at international level.

The woodworking machinery industry has real strengths that have made it the second largest worldwide, right after Germany.

What are these strengths? Certainly, a deep knowledge of the best design techniques: the fruit of a long engineering and entrepreneurial tradition, combined with the quality of the components.

The numbers of the sector: turnover and international presence

Italy has long been a reference point for manufacturing companies that use wood and wood derivatives in their work: this is clearly demonstrated by the export figures released by Acimall.

The association brings together Italian companies in the industry and periodically photographs their evolution: in 2020 production came close to 2 billion euros, of which more than 1,330 million were destined for foreign markets.

Although down compared to 2019, the figures tell of a sector capable of defending the position it has conquered over the years, seizing the opportunities that emerged during a difficult year.

And 2021 has been a year of recovery, as the latest figures show. The first half of the year saw an increase of over 100% in orders for woodworking machinery, with foreign markets increasing their demand by 88.7%.

If on the one hand the comparison with the first half of 2020 weighs heavily, on the other hand this proves an increasingly strong appreciation for Made in Italy capital goods. It is no coincidence that, in the ranking of importing countries, the United States remains in first place, but there is no lack of interesting data for other nations as well. Such as?

Business opportunities for companies: a market analysis

Between January and June 2021, France and Poland overtook Germany among the importing countries of Italian technologies.

This is reported once again by Acimall,

which points to further growth prospects outside Europe and in particular in China: in the Asian country, Italian woodworking machinery has experienced strong growth in recent years.

At the end of the list is the Netherlands, an excellent economic partner for Italy, which in the first half of this year saw a marked increase in its orders, which settled at around 28.5 million euros.

Still looking outside the EU and the Acimall top 10, Russia is an interesting market where we could do even better.

And the positive trend in the third quarter of 2021 also makes it possible to make optimistic forecasts, with an increase in orders of 66.8% compared to the same period in 2020.

The resurgence of the global machinery market therefore offers business opportunities for companies that should not be underestimated.

But how to seize them?

Certainly, it will still be essential to monitor the evolution of trade trends, keeping abreast of changes in demand, both domestic and foreign.

And no less important, identifying the right interlocutors through market analysis remains crucial.

The growth margins we mentioned earlier in strategic areas require a meticulous study of the companies that might be looking for quality machinery.

After all, for a sector specialising in technologically advanced goods, it is essential not only to know where potential users are concentrated, but also what their characteristics and working processes are.

Only in this way will it be possible to efficiently achieve new goals, meeting market expectations and giving continuity to the recent growth of Made in Italy woodworking machinery.