Textile machinery: Italy a major player at ITMA Milan

ITMA gets under way on June 8th in Milan, at the Milano Rho fairgrounds. For seven days, visitors at the world’s foremost textile machinery exhibition will be provided a first hand look at the high quality technology proposals on show from over 400 exhibiting Italian machinery manufacturers. The overall exhibition space occupied by Italy’s exhibitors is an impressive 36,000 square meters (roughly 30% of the total surface area), confirming the leading role of Italy among the exhibiting Countries.

Alessandro Zucchi, President of ACIMIT (Association of Italian Textile Machinery Manufacturers) stated, “Once again, Italian textile machinery industry will play a leading role, with a large number of participants at the world’s major showcase for textile machinery. Surely an important signal to all customers, confirming the vitality of our sector, with an annual production in 2022 that grew at a rate of 13% compared to the previous year.”

At the heart of the many technology solutions presented at the show by Italian manufacturers are the themes of sustainability and digitization. Indeed, the requests from customers will focus on sustainable products and manufacturing processes, where digital transformation allows for more effective and efficient production. In this scenario, Italy’s textile machinery manufacturers intend to help redesign the future of the textile supply chain, focusing on these two essential themes, as evidenced by the claim Shaping the Future, which defines Italian promotional campaign at ITMA Milan.

The support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, and of Italian Trade Agency

At ITMA, the Italian textile machinery industry can once again rely on the support provided by the Italian Government, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and ITA-Italian Trade Agency, which promotes the internationalization of Italian businesses abroad.

Roberto Luongo, General Director of the Italian Trade Agency, explained that, “This year’s ITMA held in Milan is once again an essential international showcase for Italy’s textile machinery sector. The textile machinery industry represents a point of excellence for Made in Italy technology, with an entrepreneurial acumen that shows a high propensity for internationalization, where innovative, global, high-level outlets provide consolidation for their business models. This is why we have sought to support the textile machinery supply chain with a significant investment, as part of our promotional program, and in partnership with ACIMIT, providing our machinery manufacturing exhibiting at the fair with a structured activity plan that aims to enhance the keywords of the 2023 edition: sustainability, digitization and technology.”

Among the many initiatives in support of Italy’s textile machinery contingent at ITMA, taking place during the event, is the presence of 150 top foreign buyers selected by ITA and ACIMIT from about 25 different Countries, as well as the Italian Textile Technology Awards, which will be rewarding 18 students from textile universities in Countries in which Italian Textile Training Technology Centers are presently active or being implemented (Bangladesh, India, Mongolia, Pakistan, Peru and Vietnam), and the visit of around 40 students from the ITS TAM Technology Institute of Biella, who will be present at various booths of Italian exhibitors.

ACIMIT Green Label Award

Sustainability has for years been the main focus of the research and innovation efforts of Italian manufacturers, who are committed to providing sustainable technology solutions both from an environmental and economic standpoint, solutions that are effective in cutting down on consumption and production costs. As confirmed by Alessandro Zucchi, “ACIMIT has been committed to the issue of environmental and economic sustainability since 2010 with the “Sustainable Technologies” project, to which over 40 textile machinery manufacturers have joined.”

The press conference held by ACIMIT and Italian Trade Agency provided an opportunity to reward two ACIMIT member companies which in 2022 proved their virtuous qualities, by considerably reducing carbon footprint (CFP) emissions on their machinery.

Pafasystem S.r.l., a company based in Prato, produces spinning machines, and Brazzoli S.r.l., located in Senago (MI), which specializes in fabric dyeing technologies, both received an award for obtaining the best results expressed in terms of percentage CFP value reduction for their machinery, from among over 40 ACIMIT member companies adhering to the Sustainable Technologies project.

“With the Green Label Award, ACIMIT wants to reward manufacturers that have most distinguished themselves for their commitment within our project, as well as highlight what we have achieved as an industry on the issue of sustainability,” affirmed ACIMIT president Alessandro Zucchi, adding that, “I believe research into sustainable technology solutions is an essential theme for any textile firm wanting to respond to the demands of the market.”

The two winning companies duly expressed their satisfaction. Francesca Fani, CEO of Pafasystem stated that, “We’re honoured and grateful for the prize we’ve been awarded. The Italian Green Label Award is a recognition for the work put in by the whole our team at Pafasystem. We consistently work together as a unit to improve each and every day, with product innovations, optimizing our organization, rendering production processes more efficient, and through promoting sensitivity to issues of sustainability and the company’s social values. This prize we receive today will provide a great deal of motivation to offer to the international community and the whole of the textile district here in Prato – from which we were conceived by now over 60 years ago – a product and service that is increasingly modern and efficient, and above all more sustainable.”

Greta Banfi, the Technical Department Manager at Brazzoli pointed out that, “We joined to the Green Label project right from the beginning because we feel that Italian textile machinery manufacturers play a preeminent role in promoting new green technology trends. Brazzoli has always deemed foremost the reduction of consumption for its machinery, so that our Research and Development activity has always been focused on providing innovative and sustainable solutions.”

Photo exhibition

As part of the many initiatives organized by ACIMIT for ITMA is the photo exhibition dedicated to Italy’s textile machinery sector, “SHAPING THE FUTURE – The heritage and uninterrupted evolution of the Italian Textile Machinery Industry”. The exhibition will be showcased at the CASA ITALIA Lounge (Gemini room) of the Services Center at Fiera Milano Rho during the entirety of the show, allowing visitors to discover the Italian textile machinery industry, as described through archive images of technology, production sites and entrepreneurs who have made history in the industry. As ACIMIT’s president commented, “The photo exhibition is an evocative journey through the evolution of our industrial sector from the previous century right up to the present day, through company testimonials, photos and videos that retrace the memory, values and technological evolution of an entire sector that excels internationally.”

ACIMIT will be present at ITMA Milan (Services Center, Mezzanine Level, Rooms 61 & 62) to provide visitors with information on Italian textile machinery.