È l’associazione che rappresenta i costruttori italiani di macchine automatiche per il confezionamento e l’imballaggio. Fondata nel 1984, è un punto di riferimento per l’intero settore in Italia e all’estero. I suoi oltre 100 associati, a cui si aggiungono anche i rappresentanti della filiera dell’imballaggio, rappresentano circa il 70% del fatturato del comparto e oltre l’80% dell’export. Per meglio delineare le prospettive e le opportunità offerte dai mercati, cinque commissioni si occupano di: Internazionalizzazione, Finanziamenti Export, Subfornitura, Tecnico-Normativa e Benchmark su indici di gestione aziendale. Ucima opera a sostegno dell’internazionalizzazione delle aziende associate grazie anche alla collaborazione con il ministero dello Sviluppo economico e l’Istituto Nazionale per il Commercio Estero (Ice). Ucima is an association representing the Italian manufacturers of automatic packaging machinery. Founded in 1984, it is a landmark for the whole sector in Italy and abroad. Its members exceeding 100 plus some representatives of the packaging chain secure about 70% of the turnover of the sector and more than 80% of exports. To better define the prospects and the opportunities offered by the markets, Ucima has set up five committees dealing with: Internationalization, Financing the export, Subcontracting, Technical Standards and Benchmark on index of business management.
Innovation according to Ucima: customization and high technological level
Marketing, emerging markets and sustainability are now the main driver of innovation. Machinery manufacturers focus their research basically on the model of incremental innovation, namely the ability to provide customers with practical and tailored solutions, ensuring absolute reliability and technological excellence. Packaging automatic machinery for consumer goods is a key sector for Italian economy. The year on year turnover is more than 3.5 billions Euros; it contributes to almost 3 billions Euros on the active national balance of export trade (datum referred to 2007). Many other more celebrated “Made in Italy” sectors can’t boast equal results. The 2008 first semester was extremely positive; the growth was massive compared to the 20007, a very profitable year, but since last July exports turned weak and in 2008 the performance will likely balance the previous year. We haven’t final reports yet, but 2008 third quarter data related to the current economic situation show a decline in the turnover. On every third quarter of the year we expect a physiological slow down but 2008 showed a very disappointing -6.4% compared to the same period in 2007. The index of orders gives the idea of the real impact of the economic crisis on the sector, and for the 2008 third quarter a 16.6% decrease is expected. Orders were mainly lost in the export, while in the domestic market the situation is more reassuring. The index of guaranteed production months is 5.1, in line with the average of the period. Even before the actual financial crisis, for the period 2008- 2012 it was expected a slowdown in the average rate of world GDP expansion, compared to the previous five years, due to a lower dynamic international trade. In this period there are concerns even for a traditionally strong and well structured sector as ours, well known for high export attitude and a great diversity in terms of users and countries provided. The fear of a recession that can affect many sectors all over the globe pushed Ucima to strengthen the support to its members. A working table has been established. It provides several advices to fuel measures to protect companies, among which the credit guarantee for business, transparency guarantee of bank charges and ratings, an overall strengthening of guarantee instruments and ensuring the closeness of the bank system to the sector. Our association will ask the government and authorities in monetary policy (European Central Bank and Bank of Italy) for assistance and fiscal measures to support investments and strengthening of enterprise capital. It will also seek closer collaboration between business and the banking system.
