Tuesday, March 19, 2024

MECSPE: Digital and energy transition at the heart of the fair

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The 22nd edition of MECSPE was attended by 66,906 visitors and more than 2,000 companies. Artificial Intelligence, robotics, cloud computing, training for new skills and energy transition were the main themes of the exhibition to provide new stimuli to the sector.

Manufacturing reconfirms its willingness to grow and open up to innovation and new sustainable frontiers: This is what emerged from the  MECSPE, Italy’s leading exhibition dedicated to the manufacturing industry 3-day event, organized by Senaf, now in its 22nd edition and held March 6-8 in Bologna.

2068 firms from all across Italy gathered with 66,906 professionals (+12% compared to 2023) to form synergies and pool skills and information in the context of the fair, which serves as a catalyst for the industry’s national and worldwide growth.

The MECSPE edition focused on a topic that is as timely and of primary importance for the current year as it ever was: the digital and energy transition promoted by MIMIT‘s Transition 5.0 Plan. The plan offers multiple opportunities for companies in the industry, which have the chance to innovate with new technologies and become even more sustainable through the new incentives.

This was precisely one of the key topics of the Exhibition’s inaugural event, which, in the presence of Valentino Valentini, Deputy Minister of Business and Made in Italy, Vincenzo Colla, Councillor for Economic Development and Green Economy, Labor, Training and International Relations of the Emilia-Romagna Region, Massimo Bugani, Councillor for the Digital Agenda of the Municipality of Bologna, Antonio Bruzzone, CEO of BolognaFiere, and Ivo Nardella, President Senaf – Tecniche Nuove Group, highlighted the role of the NRRP and incentives for the development of the sector.

Indeed, the MECSPE Observatory presented during the inaugural event highlighted the importance of 4.0 incentives used by 50 percent [1] of companies for their digitization and innovation development.

These have enabled entrepreneurs to make investments that they otherwise would be unable to make. In fact, the Observatory confirmed that 63 percent of entrepreneurs would not have invested, or would have invested less, without the incentives. Therefore, growth must continue through the new 5.0 measures that put the digital transition alongside the energy transition for a transformation of the industry in an increasingly sustainable direction.

In addition to the inaugural event, this issue was also addressed within the MECSPE LAB – Innovation Space context, which positioned itself as a promoter of technological innovation based on growing social and environmental awareness, taking into account, in particular, energy efficiency and compatible alternatives, in perfect coherence with the goals of Transition 5.0.

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MECSPE focused on a topic of primary importance for this year: the digital and energy transition, promoted by MIMIT’s Transition 5.0 Plan.

«The success of the 22nd edition of MECSPE underscores the fervor and determination of the Italian manufacturing industry to pursue innovation and embrace new challenges. – said Ivo Nardella, president of Senaf and Tecniche Nuove Group -. This edition, which follows more than 20 years of success, saw the participation of more than 66,000 visitors, 18 special initiatives, and 72 conferences, reconfirming MECSPE’s role as a point of reference for the sector and as a driving force for the industry. In fact, the fair allows for the joining of synergies and the transmission of the power of the industry, new ideas, training and information aimed at transforming innovation into concreteness, with a view to evolution toward new horizons of growth and development.»

Thanks to the German-Italian Forum: 2035 and the Automotive Supply Chain, now in its second year, the topic of transition was also addressed in a more international way. This year’s event focused on ways to adapt the automotive supply chain to respond to a technological transformation that takes into account the industry’s new energy challenges.

Second edition also for the Aluminium Energy Summit, organized by Metef, the international trade fair for the aluminum supply chain, which took stock of concrete contributions and technological solutions that the aluminum industry can activate to achieve circular economy and decarbonization goals.

Another priority theme running through the entire fair was training; MECSPE every year strives to bring young talents closer to the world of industry by offering them a platform to engage with companies and institutions.

In particular, the second day of Start-Up Factory, which was dedicated precisely to the future of education, had the honor of hosting Professor Patrizio Bianchi, former Minister of Education of the Italian Republic and Full Professor of Applied Economics at the University of Ferrara, who in his speech recalled the importance of innovating the ways of education in step with the needs of society, while also teaching values oriented not only to the individual but to the community.

Then again, innovation, sustainability, and education, with the development of new talent skills, were the three focuses of the fair, charting new directions for creating the industry of the future. The appointment to return to these issues is again at BolognaFiere with the next edition of MECSPE, at its 23rd edition, March 5-7, 2025.

Facts and figures of MECSPE BOLOGNA 2024

66,906 trade visitors, 92,000 square meters of exhibition space, 2,000 companies, 2,000 square meters of MECSPE LAB – Spazio Innovazione along with 18 special initiatives and 72 conferences.


[1] Manufacturing MECSPE Observatory conducted by GRS Ricerca e Strategia on a sample of 731 Italian manufacturing companies.

Millionaire funding for the circular economy of lithium batteries

A funding worth 10 million Euros has been delivered by Crédit Agricole Italia and guaranteed by Sace in favour of Manz Italy, it is aimed at supporting the Ipcei Batterie EuBatIn project, oriented to create a European sustainable value chain, able to produce raw materials, cells, modules and systems of state-of-the-art batteries, but also to reconvert and recycle batteries with innovative and efficient methods.
The goal is developing new prototypes of machines for cells and the assembly of battery packs as support of the Energy Storage Division of Manz AG Group, established in 1987 and operating in Italy, Germany, Slovakia, Hungary, Continental China and Taiwan.
«With great satisfaction we welcome the direct support to the development of the ambitious project of Manz Italia by Crédit Agricole Italia, jointly with Sace, which allows us to make the project, cofounded by Mimit, progress more quickly; it is focused on the validation of innovative technologies, processes and plants for the assembly of high energy efficiency lithium batteries», commented Paolo Facchini, Managing Director and & CFO of Manz Italy Srl.

Manufacturing News, first edition in preview

Manufacturing News, the online news programme by Tecniche Nuove Media's Manufacturing Division
Manufacturing News, the online news programme by Tecniche Nuove Media's Manufacturing Division

The first edition of the online news dedicated to the most important news of the manufacturing sector

Tecniche Nuove Medias Manufacturing Division is pleased to present the first edition of Manufacturing News, the online news programme that will inform, in just a few minutes, about the most relevant news from the manufacturing world.
What will it be about? Here are just some highlights: Green light for the Transition 5.0 Plan; A new drive system for the vehicles of the future; Positive first two months for industrial production; In Bologna MECSPE 2024, the most important appointment for the manufacturing industry.


Manufacturing News, the online news programme by Tecniche Nuove Media's Manufacturing Division
Manufacturing News, the online news programme by Tecniche Nuove Media’s Manufacturing Division

ABOUT TECNICHE NUOVE GROUP

Tecniche Nuove Group, with about 300 employees and more than 65 million euros in sales, is a leader in specialized publishing for manufacturing and professional activities in the Manufacturing, Healthcare, Architecture-Design, Building-Planting, Agriculture-Farming, Horeca and Retail sectors. With more than 147 publishing platforms, the Tecniche Nuove Group has been operating in B2B communication for 60 years, training and informing companies and professionals. 1,500 books in the catalog, 550,000 copies distributed monthly, 1,450,000 monthly contacts and nearly 250,000 visitors attending the group’s trade fairs and conferences in a year represent the strength of the country system’s professional culture and updating.

MECSPE driving force behind manufacturing: over 2,000 companies in Bologna

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From March 6-8, the 22nd edition of the flagship trade fair for the manufacturing industry will offer its rich program of conferences, meetings, and insights, with a special focus on the new Transition 5.0 Plan.

From March 6 to 8, BolognaFiere’s halls will see well over 2,000 exhibiting companies participating in the 92,000 sq m of exhibition space with 13 thematic salons, 18 special initiatives and a program full of appointments and meetings dedicated to the digital and ecological transition.

The new edition will devote ample space to discussions among industry players in light of recent developments on the PNRR front and the new Transition 5.0 Plan, with its €6.3 billion allocation for 2024-2025. The issues of transition and progress, as relevant for Italian companies, will be explored in depth at the opening event of the fair, during which data from the new MECSPE Observatory on the Italian manufacturing industry will be discussed in the presence of representatives of MIMIT – Ministry of Business and Made In Italy.

MECSPE LAB: the new soul of the fair gives space for innovation

An edition with important new features, starting with the new MECSPE LAB – Innovation Space exhibition area, will be the meeting point for all visitors interested in demonstration initiatives to integrate Industry 4.0 with Industry 5.0.

This is an unmissable opportunity for young people to compare and evaluate with an eye to the future the new challenges the sector faces. There, new talents will be able to learn more about the potential of new jobs in the industry, which involve the use of advanced tools for managing production processes.

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This year’s MECSPE LAB – Innovation Space will also include students from the University of Bologna with the UNIBOAT research team. Students will present a project to develop and produce an all-electric boat, focusing on environmentally sustainable solutions related to clean energy and recycled, reusable, and low-carbon footprint materials.

In addition to this, the exhibition of Formula SAE prototypes, the educational event organized annually by ANFIA in collaboration with the University of Bologna, More Modena Racing, Unibo Motorsport, and Race Up of Padua, is reconfirmed.

Training as a binding force for industry

The theme of education will play a central role in the event, which every year serves as a dynamic platform to direct young people to the industry world. This is an increasingly urgent issue according to the latest Unioncamere data that highlight the difficulty of finding resources; in 2023, in fact, the sector could only count a few thousand ITS graduates, an extremely low number compared to the industry’s demand of about 47 thousand graduates, including more than16 thousand in the mechanical field.

Among the initiatives dedicated to training is the return of MECSPE Young&Career, a pathway that offers young visitors the opportunity to participate in training events organized by the fair and exhibitors, get in touch with companies, and apply for job opportunities.

«MECSPE is a real catalyst for significant and positive change throughout the manufacturing sector,” comments Maruska Sabato, MECSPE project manager. “The expo is a key crossroads for exchanging ideas between companies, institutions, and young people. In the face of growing demand for specialized skills in the industry, MECSPE becomes an indispensable platform to orient young people toward innovative and rewarding careers in the industry. We will also give ample space to the topic of incentives: the presence of MIMIT this year is a signal of great importance, made even more relevant by the imminent implementation of the Transition 5.0 Plan, on which we intend to focus on providing companies with all the necessary insights to accompany them in this new phase of development.»

NRP and Competence Center: MECSPE hosts MIMIT

Training and digital innovation will converge in the Competence Center Area, where the meeting between the MECSPE community and the Competence Centers will take place, offering orientation activities, training, and innovative projects in Industry 4.0. The space within which the eight national Competence Centers, with the participation of MIMIT, will exhibit, will be enhanced by a schedule of training events for SMEs.

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Energy transition and sustainability

Two, in particular, will be the internationally focused conferences on current topics for the industry that MECSPE will host again this year. For the second time, in fact, the German-Italian Forum will take place: 2035 and the Automotive supply chain, dedicated to the energy transition toward which the automotive industry is moving. A conference that aims to provide the entire automotive supply chain with a macroeconomic and technological view of the sector, including through expert testimony and presentations of success stories.

Second edition also for the Aluminum Energy Summit, organized by Metef, the international exhibition for the aluminum supply chain. The summit’s goal will be to take stock of concrete contributions and technological solutions that the aluminum industry can activate to achieve circular economy and decarbonization goals.

Finally, the Sustainability Goal Path will again this year reward virtuous companies that have distinguished themselves by making sustainable choices.

A program full of events

Many other initiatives will enliven the three-day event, which strives to leave a constructive imprint for all industry players every year, paving the way for a new, more conscious, innovative, and human-centric way of doing business.

Among the new features, Mold Square highlights the close synergy between international companies and university students, who have collaborated to create an object made of polymers from renewable sources that will be produced and distributed at the fair.

The Planning and Design Square for this edition is dedicated to Italian producers of luxury materials, while the TMP Square hosts its associates, manufacturers and processors of everything related to the world of plastics, and will give voice to activities aimed at young people and schools, sustainability and greenwashing unmasking, with the purpose of information and technical training.

In line with the innovation needs expressed by the market, the Startup Factory brings together high-tech B2B startups that will be able to present themselves to a broad audience from the manufacturing industry.

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These are just some of the special initiatives proposed by MECSPE, which, as every year, will have the honor of hosting the historical institutions and industry associations that, in more than two decades, have helped elevate the event to a benchmark for the manufacturing industry: Confartigianato, ANFIA, ASCOMUT, CNA Produzione, and AIDAM, each present at the fair with their own dedicated space.

Facts and figures of MECSPE BOLOGNA 2024

59,845 professional visitors (2023 edition), 92,000 sq m display area, more than 2,000 companies present, 2,000 sq m of MECSPE LAB – Spazio Innovazione, 18 special initiatives, 72 conferences.

Multi-channel communication, Tecniche Nuove Publishing Group acquires 100% of Mazzmedia

Tecniche Nuove headquarters
Tecniche Nuove headquarters, Milan

With the aim of further consolidating the omnichannel offer of the Tecniche Nuove SpA publishing group, the acquisition of 100% of the capital of Mazzmedia srl from the majority shareholder Francesco Fiori and Samuele Marazzita, Tommaso Dozio, Federico Anelli has been completed.
Mazzmedia is a digital agency, specialized in the design and development of multi-channel communication projects, digital strategy, creativity, technological development and digital marketing. A company capable of responding very quickly to customer requests and needs. Channel mix planning, strategic cross-media campaigns, market research and analysis are the basis of the work of the Mazzmedia team.
The new corporate asset has confirmed at the helm the CEO Francesco Fiori, the Sales Director Tomaso Dozio, the Head of UX Designer Samuele Marazzita and the Head of Technology Federico Anelli.

A long-standing strategy of growth

Ivo Alfonso Nardella, Chairman and CEO of Tecniche Nuove Spa
Ivo Alfonso Nardella, Chairman and CEO of Tecniche Nuove Spa

“This important acquisition follows a long-standing external growth strategy and completes our group’s positioning as a leader in the B2B multichannel communication offer,” said Ivo Alfonso Nardella, Chairman and CEO of Tecniche Nuove Spa. “The confirmation of the management team that has made Mazzmedia a top-level structure among web agencies is a sign of continuity of management and will allow us to develop new services, including those based on AI, in the publishing and communication sector for companies and professional segments that are in the Group’s portfolio.”

ABOUT TECNICHE NUOVE GROUP

Tecniche Nuove Group, with about 300 employees and more than 65 million euros in sales, is a leader in specialized publishing for manufacturing and professional activities in the Manufacturing, Healthcare, Architecture-Design, Building-Planting, Agriculture-Farming, Horeca and Retail sectors. With more than 147 publishing platforms, the Tecniche Nuove Group has been operating in B2B communication for 60 years, training and informing companies and professionals. 1,500 books in the catalog, 550,000 copies distributed monthly, 1,450,000 monthly contacts and nearly 250,000 visitors attending the group’s trade fairs and conferences in a year represent the strength of the country system’s professional culture and updating.

“I am pleased to officially announce the completion of the acquisition of MazzMedia by the prestigious Tecniche Nuove Group, a historic leader in the creation of content and editorial formats aimed mainly at companies and professionals in the B2B sector.” said Francesco Fiori. “The integration with the Tecniche Nuove Group represents an extremely significant step for MazzMedia, offering us an extraordinary opportunity to enhance our skills and resources. I am deeply convinced that this union represents a further concrete opportunity for growth for all our customers”.

ABOUT MAZZMEDIA

MazzMedia is a full-service digital agency founded in 2012, whose offerings include digital strategy, UX design, technology development, social media management and digital marketing.
It includes 30 professionals with a wide range of multidisciplinary skills, a talented team of digital marketing specialists, creatives, and web and mobile developers who work closely together to create exciting digital experiences.
Small and medium-sized companies, as well as established multinationals, have found MazzMedia’s services to be a valuable support in the online development of their digital strategies.

“This new integration,” comments Francesca Ferilli, a member of the board of directors and general manager of Bos, “will also be an asset for Senaf, the company part of the TN Group that organizes and implements trade fairs and exhibition events dedicated to the various sectors of the industrial and production world, such as MecSpe, SAIE, Cosmofarma and Exposanità”.

Growing in innovation and consolidating a digital unit

Advisor and entrepreneur Davide Maggi adds: “The transaction between Tecniche Nuove and Mazzmedia allows the Group to grow in innovation and consolidate a digital unit with a high level of professionalism, already matured by Mazzmedia. I am happy to have accompanied Ivo Nardella and the Group, already my partner in other operations, to this new milestone”.
Advising on all phases of the acquisition for Mazzmedia were the firm BonelliErede, for Tecniche Nuove the advisor Davide Maggi and the firm Talea in the persons of lawyer Enrico Del Sasso and Dr. Sergio Pellone.

MECSPE: a bridge between companies and specialised training

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For its 22nd edition, from 6 to 8 March MECSPE returns to Bologna with a renewed focus on talent preparation, integration of sustainability into industrial processes, and innovation as driving forces for the sector.

Italian manufacturing is constantly on the hunt for professionals and new resources, in fact, Unioncamere – Anpal data indicate that manufacturing will need as many as 500,000 workers by 2027 and at least 50,000 ITS graduates the year [1].

These figures clash with the difficult time the sector is experiencing in terms of resource availability: it is estimated that almost half of the profiles sought (45%) will be unavailable.

In fact, the positive trend in manufacturing employment over the last year (with 957,000 entries, +22,000 over 2022) is not enough to bridge the gap between the world of training and industry, which continues to have difficulty finding skilled workers.

The mismatch between the needs of companies and market supply reaches 60,3% and increases further (touching 65.5%) in the case of ITS graduates, a percentage that peaks in the case of specialised technicians in the mechanical area (74.3%). [2]

DEMU Project and Objective Sustainability Path

Young talents will also be highlighted in the Mold Square, where ample space will be given to the DEMU project, a challenge posed by a group of six international companies to second-year students of the degree course in Design, organised in Vicenza by the Iuav University of Venice, in collaboration with the Fondazione Studi Universitari di Vicenza.

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The challenge was to exploit the potential of advanced injection moulding through the design of a small object made from renewable source polymers with a use value. The winning project among the 23 presented by the students is “Jaketa”: a folding travel hanger, awarded for its immediacy, usefulness, and ease of communication features that, as a recognition, will be produced and distributed at the show. With this square, MECSPE further highlights the close synergy between companies and university students.

The focus on sustainability will be emphasized by the Sustainability Pathaway, a historical appointment of MECSPE that undertakes to award the virtuous companies that implement sustainability in their company strategies, in all its three declinations: environmental, social and governance.

Sustainability is more and more fundamental for companies as it represents an unavoidable choice to face global challenges, answer to market requests and gain a competitive advantage not only on the national market, but above all on the international scene.

The second edition of the Italo-German Forum

Exports in fact represent a driving force for the Italian economy and guarantee the health of the industry every year. According to the latest data of the MECSPE Observatory, in fact, more than a quarter of the companies that export generate from 46 to 70% of their turnover abroad, while 15% of the entrepreneurs get to invoice more than 70% abroad.[3]

In this sense, in order to ride the theme of internationalization, the Italian-German Forum is back at MECSPE for the second edition, an appointment dedicated to the industrial transition in the automotive sector and to the big changes that are impacting on the whole supply chain.

The second edition of the Forum, organised in cooperation with the Italian-German Chamber of Commerce and the international association VDMA, will take stock of the current situation of the sector at international level and will examine all the technological aspects that the industry is introducing (including new ecological fuels, digitalisation, electrification and autonomous driving) with the aim of a low environmental impact mobility.

“We are coming back to Bologna with a new edition of MECSPE rich in contents and novelties, emphasising more than ever the need to bring young people closer to industry.

By working on the main guidelines of the show, such as sustainability, training and innovation, we favour the creation of synergies among the different stakeholders with the aim of creating useful value for the country system.

Manufacturing is one of the country’s most driving sectors and is on the verge of a turnaround on several fronts. Thanks to the insights that will emerge during the fair, we will be able to bring our contribution to the international level as well.Maruska Sabato, Project Manager of MECSPE

The infinitely recyclable material

March will also see the second edition of the Aluminium Energy Summit, a panel dedicated to this fundamental and infinitely recyclable material, 42% of which is used in Italy by the transport sector alone. A summit to explain what could be the possible future of primary metal production, the preservation of energy content through recovery and recycling, and what is the position of our country compared to foreign competitors.

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There will be no lack of initiatives dedicated to the theme of innovation, one above all the Competence Center Area, a space created with the aim of favouring a matching between the MECSPE community – exhibitors and visitors of the event – and the Competence Centres and Digital Innovation Hubs, that will be able to share orientation, training and innovative projects in the sphere of Industry 4.0.

Finally, also this year MECSPE proposes the Solution Award, prize for innovation in robotics and prestigious acknowledgement for companies of the robotics and automation sector.

MECSPE Bologna 2023 in numbers
  • 59,845 trade visitors (+52% over 2022)
  • 92,000 m2 of exhibition space
  • 2,034 companies present
  • 2,000 m2 Heart Exhibition ‘Energy Transition and Mobility of the Future
  • 20 special initiatives

[1] Source: Unioncamere-ANPAL, Excelsior Information System, 2023, [2] Source: Unioncamere-ANPAL, Excelsior Information System, 2023, [3] MECSPE Observatory, III quarterly 2023.

The electrification plan for tourist buses is coming to London

Tootbus tourist bus operator will collaborate with the provider of solutions for electronic fleets VEV, starting from the supply of 100% renewable energy and 10 Tootbus battery chargers for electric buses. VEV will entrust Tootbus with powering its current electric fleet composed of three vehicles and will also install solar energy plants by Tootbus Wandsworth deposit to generate 65,000 kWh. Tootbus will exploit the VEV-IQ platform of smart energy management. VEV’s proprietary system allows fleet operators to monitor the power supply, charge infrastructures, and use vehicles to keep their fleets in motion and maximise energy efficiency.
Gavin Brooking, managing director of Tootbus UK, stated: «The green tourism is at the core of our corporate strategy and represents a huge investment for us. We have acknowledged the massive potential that the shift to a sustainable end-to-end electric fleet might have in helping us hit our targets of emission reduction. With its broad expertise in the sector of smart energy management, VEV is for us the ideal partner with a tailored turn-key solution».
VEV has shared the details of its new partnership with Tootbus, underlining they expect their green energy solutions will help the touristic bus company save 15,567 kg of carbon emissions yearly.

Sodium-ion batteries: will it be the direction of Tesla?

Through its venture capital fund, Stellantis has become a strategic investor in Tiamat, a French spin-off of the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (Cnrs), which develops and markets the technology of sodium-ion batteries. It is a pioneer in the marketing of sodium-ion technology in an electrified product.
“This technology offers a lower kilowatt/hour cost and it is lithium- and cobalt-free. The large availability of sodium offers several advantages in terms of higher sustainability and strategic independence. The sodium-ion technology promises more convenient energy storage than the current technology of lithium-ion batteries, today largely used”, Stellantis explained.
The next step will be the use by Tiamat of the proceeds of the fund-raising plan, of which also Stellantis Ventures is part, to implement a plant of sodium-ion batteries in France. Stellantis explains that in the early phases, the batteries will be intended for electric equipment and stationary storage applications, whereas in the future the production will be increased with specific second-generation products for BEV vehicles.

Webinar Came on “Industrialisation of the synchronous and asynchronous stator: from design to implementation”

Come and explore the advantages and disadvantages of the synchronous and asynchronous stator industrialisation. Fabrizio Bardelli, the R&D expert responsible for technological and product development at Came, will hold the technical webinar.
Came is a leading European company based in San Pietro Mussolino in Vicenza. It has been designing and manufacturing components for electric motors, windings, and aluminum die casting for 45 years.

In an environment where speed, efficiency, and sustainability are the cornerstones supporting the entire production chain up to the end customer, the webinar on February 8th 2024, at 2:30 pm (IT Time), will cover how various elements and decisions made at the design stage affect the efficiency, cost savings, and sustainability of electric motors and impact the product, customer, and end-user. The main topic will analyze the path between stator design and its industrial implementation and production, following the challenges, complexities, solutions, and market trends.

Based on Came’s experience the viewers will learn how to plan product industrialisation properly in a complex and evolving market that needs an attentive observer capable of sharing solutions, best practices, experiences, and innovations with its customers.

Here is a detailed list of what the webinar will cover during the day:

  • the advantages and disadvantages of the two winding types from an industrial process, processing, and materials perspective
  • the technological and design pros and cons of choosing distributed and concentrated windings
  • characteristics, merits, and shortcomings of distributed windings

If you want to participate, click on the button and subscribe by filling out the form

MECSPE Bari: Training and innovation drive the manufacturing industry of the future

mecspe bari

The second edition of MECSPE Bari, the landmark event for the manufacturing industry in Central and Southern Italy, concluded with satisfaction on Saturday.

A total of 14,715 professionals filled the pavilions of the Nuova Fiera del Levante from Nov. 23 to Nov. 25 for the second edition of MECSPE Bari, the event dedicated to Central and Southern Italy of Italy’s leading trade fair dedicated to the manufacturing industry, organized by Senaf.

With the closure of the Apulian edition, MECSPE is preparing for the 22nd international edition that will return to Bologna from March 6 to 8, 2024.

The fair, with 511 exhibiting companies, featured 150 conferences and workshops and 11 special initiatives aimed at delving into the issues of technological innovation and the training of the professional figures of the future to make the industry increasingly high-performing and competitive. 

During the inaugural conference “The Transformation of Italian Manufacturing between Training, Innovation and Sustainable Processes”, data from the MECSPE Observatory were presented, which showed an industry in good health with most companies looking to the future by forecasting a path of growth in the next two years (70 percent), especially in size. 

The inaugural conference saw the support and collaboration of local institutions, including Confindustria Bari BAT with the Mechanics Section, Federmeccanica, the Apulia Region, and the Municipality of Bari, which helped create value for the area and the sector.

Traininginnovation, and sustainability: these are the guidelines that permeate MECSPE each year and its program of initiatives dedicated to the future of the industry and discussion among industry players. 

The collaboration with ITS A. Cuccovillo Mechatronics Puglia Foundation pushed precisely on the first of the three directions, creating the Training 4.0 Square, a space where ITS and partner companies talked about their collaboration and opportunities for the territory.

The area, which throughout the fair involved and oriented young students and future mechatronics technicians, emphasized the importance of bridging the gap between companies and schools so that more and more companies can take advantage of already trained and competent resources. 

Puglia’s ITSs, also present in the MECSPE Young & Career space, have created opportunities to meet and network with local companies to start professionalizing paths.

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Spot®, the dog-robot created by Boston Dynamics, executes commands by decoding brain responses.

Among the conferences that enlivened the second edition of MECSPE Bari was “The Industry You Don’t Expect”, organized by Federmeccanica to bring young people closer to the industry world. The event recounted a reality consisting of evolved, digital, and innovative businesses, debunking the clichés connected to the sector, where the hope is that young people will play a key role.

There is great excitement for activities dedicated to new enabling technologies, with a plethora of high-tech exhibitors and countless sophisticated innovative systems. 

The theme of innovation characterized this edition of MECSPE Bari, which confirmed the Apulian capital as the heart of digital and technological innovation for industry in Southern and Central Italy, but not only. 

One example is the Bari Polytechnic‘s demonstration area, which brought out very high-tech projects based on Brain-Computer Interface and Artificial Intelligence, such as Spot®, the dog-robot created by Boston Dynamics, that executes commands by decoding brain responses, and the Neural Raceway, an innovative educational and entertainment system that allows users to control the movement of toy cars through their brain activity.

«The just-concluded second edition of MECSPE Bari highlighted how much the manufacturing sector represents a driving force for the development of the area» said Ivo Nardellapresident of Senaf and Tecniche Nuove Group«The fair was an opportunity to give space to excellence in terms of innovation, with new technologies and intelligent use of AI and training, highlighting the central role played by ITS, Universities, and Polytechnics in preparing the professionals of the future who are increasingly key players in the transition that industry is facing. In this regard, great attention has been paid to creating synergies between business and education to adequately respond to the needs of the industry and make the sector increasingly competitive. Manufacturing, as the driving sector of the Italian economy, must be ready to face the challenges of a changing future, challenges that we will explore as early as next March with the annual MECSPE event in Bologna.»

«The return of MECSPE to Bari was a success as evidenced by the number of visitors of this 2023 edition» commented Gaetano Frullipresident of Nuova Fiera del Levante«Stakeholders and institutions highlighted the importance of the manufacturing sector which is fundamental to the economic development of our country. Here, ample space was given to digital and innovative technologies which cannot be disregarded in an industry in step with the times. It is certain by now that focusing on strategic collaborations such as the one with Senaf, a promoter of specialized fairs, is successful in developing the trade fair business, just as it is strategic to hold fairs in Bari, at the Fiera del Levante, considering the success of these specialized events.»

Finally, new to this edition is the Sustainability Objective Path initiative, organized in collaboration with Project Hub 360, which gave visibility and recognition to exhibitors who are committed to a path of improvement in terms of ESG (environmental, social, and governance criteria). The project stems from the principle that sustainability is never an endpoint, but a path of continuous improvement that all companies are required to implement.

The figures of MECSPE BARI 2023

20.000 sq m of exhibition area, 511 companies attending, more than 150 conferences and workshops, 11 special initiatives, 3 halls, and the Exhibition Core Energy “Transition and Industry 4.0: Sustainability in the Manufacturing Industry.” 16,243 professional visitors participated in the last edition (2019).

Facts and figures of MECSPE BOLOGNA 2023

59.845 visitors operating in the trade sector (+52 percent compared to 2022), 92.000 sq m of exhibition space, 2.034 participating companies, 2.000 sq m of the Exhibition Core “Energy Transition and Mobility of the Future”, 20 special initiatives.