The products of Italian panel companies are increasingly in demand by an international clientele strongly interested in “Made in Italy”. And companies are looking for professionals who are also able to work on the chromatic, tactile and sensorial aspects of materials, finishes and surfaces, which are increasingly essential to be successful on the market. The topic was discussed in depth during the annual meeting of Assopannelli of FederlegnoArredo, which was held at POLI.design, where the first module of the professionalising Master’s course “Sensorial Surface Design, Colour, Material and Finish design for interiors and furniture” was recently concluded: a high-level multi-disciplinary training pathway, born from the collaboration between POLI.design and Assopannelli, which sees the active participation of the partner companies.
“We are very satisfied with the first results of this pilot, experimental and innovative project, carried out through the Group Coordinator, Luciano Caspani, which does not end here: traineeships will also be activated at some participating companies, and we are already working on a re-edition, trying on the one hand to attract companies interested in expanding know-how and on the other hand attracting more and more professional figures able to design in the CMF design field in a competitive way,” comments the President of Assopannelli, Paolo Fantoni. “On the other hand, the sector is also evolving abroad and especially in the field of furniture surfaces, which are gaining shares in non-European countries, both in emerging countries and in traditionally strategic destinations for furniture such as the United States“.
THE NUMBERS OF THE SECTOR
The Sistema Semilavorati per Arredi, with a production turnover of over 6 billion Euro, with its products feeds the downstream furniture sectors, not only domestically but also abroad where the quality of Italian component finishes is highly appreciated. Exports in fact absorb 46 per cent of the total, for a value of 2.8 billion euro (plus 12.3 per cent on 2021). The United Kingdom is the first destination market (plus 11.4 per cent) while the United States (plus 28 per cent) is the first non-EU market. Production for the domestic market, mostly destined for the furniture industry, absorbs the remaining half with a growth of 5.9 per cent over 2021. Looking ahead to 2023, surveys of a representative sample of companies (Monitor) by the FederlegnoArredo Research Centre show a drop in total sales in value of 10.8 per cent in the first quarter, with a more marked drop on the domestic market (-15.2 per cent) than on foreign markets (-8.2 per cent).
The Panel System suffered a sharp slowdown in production in the latter part of the year, but despite the critical issues related to soaring gas and electricity costs, the sector showed resilience and adaptability, closing 2022 with a production turnover in value of more than EUR 3 billion. Production for the domestic market, which accounts for 63 per cent of the total and is mainly destined directly for furniture companies, closed at plus 24.3 per cent. Exports are on the rise (plus 27.6 per cent) and will exceed one billion Euro in 2022. In 2022, Germany (22 per cent of total exports) and France are confirmed as the main destinations, followed by the United States and the Netherlands, all with double-digit positive changes. The FederlegnoArredo Study Centre Monitor, on the other hand, indicates for the January-March period an overall negative trend (-13.7 per cent) compared to 2022, especially as regards sales in Italy (-18.4 per cent). Foreign sales, which account for 26 per cent of the total, recorded a plus of 3.2 per cent. Companies estimate a downturn for 2023: total sales will close at -11 per cent, with a more pronounced negative trend for Italy (-13.6 per cent) than for foreign sales (-2.1 per cent).
