This growth was spurred on by both the Italian and foreign markets. More specifically, domestic orders were up 83% compared to the period October-December 2020, for an absolute value of 234.6. Orders collected abroad grew by 36%, for an absolute index value equal to 116.4.

On an annual basis, the index of orders intake increased by 95%, for an absolute value of 128 points. The increase in orders abroad was 79%, while orders collected for  domestic market were up 204% compared to what was observed in 2020.

Alessandro Zucchi, president of ACIMIT, commented the results of the survey: "We’re experiencing a recovery in the sector that we didn’t quite expect. Production has returned to pre-Covid levels, while foreign demand has been robust in most markets, and in Italy it has benefited from the Government Transition 4.0 incentives." However, the many orders to be filled are now a cause for concern, given the scarce availability of components and raw materials due to the interruption of supply chains. Added to this is the sharp rise in the cost of energy.