Despite the challenges in “grounding” the procedural steps and while awaiting measures aimed at simplifying them, the incentives linked to “Industry 5.0” are showing some signs of impact even in the machinery and technology sector for wood and wood-based material processing, particularly in the supply of large systems. This is the first insight emerging from the analysis of data for the third quarter of 2024, prepared by the Research Office of Acimall, the Confindustria association representing Italian manufacturers.
A breath of fresh air is being provided by the domestic market, following more than two years of declining orders, a trend that it is hoped will soon be reflected in exports, finally pushing the overall order value towards positive figures.
However, the association’s quarterly survey confirms yet another quarter of contraction, with orders down by an additional 9.4 percent compared to the same period in 2023. The noteworthy change is the domestic demand, which grew by 16.1 percent, while foreign orders continue to decline, losing an additional 12.4 percent.
The order backlog increased to three months of guaranteed production (from 2.9 months in the April-June period this year), while prices rose by 1.6 percent from January 1, 2024.
The sector’s sentiment, as reflected in the qualitative survey, is clear: 50 percent of respondents expect production to remain stable, while the other 50 percent express concern about a further decline. No respondents anticipate growth.
The proportion of respondents expecting a decline in employment remains consistent with the previous quarter (20 percent), while 75 percent foresee substantial stability. Only 5 percent expect an increase.
Inventory levels are stable for 65 percent of respondents, increasing for 25 percent, and decreasing for the remaining 10 percent.
The data from the forecast survey is particularly interesting. In the domestic market, 55 percent of respondents expect stability (up from 50 percent), 5 percent foresee growth, and 40 percent anticipate a further decline. For the foreign market, 65 percent predict stability, 35 percent expect a worsening, and none anticipate improvement.
