According to ACIMIT, the Association of Italian textile machinery manufacturers, the index of orders intake for Italian textile machinery for the period ranging from April-June 2021 was up 214% compared to the same period in 2020.
The value of the index was 150.7 points (basis: 2015 = 100), a result that was no doubt influenced by the comparison with a quarter from April-June 2020, in which orders were obviously at a minimum, due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
An analysis of the index of orders intake for the first six months of 2021 confirms a positive business dynamic for Italian manufacturers, ACIMIT said. An overall growth rate of 122% compared to the first half of 2020 covered both domestic and export markets.
Alessandro Zucchi, President di ACIMIT, commented: «The data are certainly positive, bearing witness to a renewed climate of confidence». In addition to a physiological rebound following the collapse in 2020, the boost generated by 4.0 incentives is being felt on the domestic market. «The push towards digitalisation in the business sector» added Zucchi, «is being perceived as creating a competitive edge for the entire textile industry, especially here in Italy».
Despite these encouraging signals, a sense of uncertainty nonetheless persists on this recovery’s actual solidity. «There is no lack of obstacles facing our machinery producers during this phase» the ACIMIT president added. «The sharp rise in the price of raw materials does not seem to be stopping, to which we can add the limited availability of components, making it difficult for our manufacturers to fulfil the many orders they’ve received. Finally, the limitations imposed on the business travels of our staff persist, above all qualified assembly technicians».
«These are all issues that affect the sector’s order forecasts for the third quarter of 2021. To this end, ACIMIT’s survey has revealed substantial stability compared to the previous three months for domestic orders (as expressed by 59% of companies), and a general caution also abroad, where forecasts of stable or decreasing orders make up 74% of the answers given by Italian companies in the sector» ACIMIT said.
