According to the MECSPE Observatory for Q1 2024, 84% of entrepreneurs are satisfied with their company’s performance. The focus on sustainability is also expanding as more companies are integrating ESG criteria into their strategy and select suppliers according to their environmental impact (+5%). And nearly 7 out of 10 entrepreneurs expect to grow within 2 years.
The year 2024 opens with encouraging signs for manufacturing, showing a clear desire for growth and innovation, thanks in part to NRRP measures. The MECSPE Observatory on the Manufacturing Industry for Q1 2024 [1] highlights several positive aspects for entrepreneurs in the sector: 84% of them, in fact, say they are moderately or very satisfied with their company’s performance.
The order book figure is growing, albeit moderately, and is adequate for as many as two-thirds of entrepreneurs, while turnover remains stable in the short term.
Furthermore, even though there are still worries about 2024 due to issues including growing raw material costs, international conflicts, and difficulty finding human resources, 76% of respondents said they are more confident in their target market.
Against this backdrop, companies are looking to the future with renewed optimism: 67% of them expect growth in the next two years, a significant increase from the 60% recorded in the last survey at the end of 2023.
Businesses are undoubtedly anticipating the launch of the Transition 5.0 Plan, which will enable them to allocate additional funds for the ecological and digital transformation.
Innovation and sustainability, along with training, will also be the focus of the 23rd edition of MECSPE, the leading trade fair for the manufacturing industry, organized by Senaf, which will be held in Bologna, Italy, March 5–7, 2025, with a renewed program designed to better assist entrepreneurs in the digital and ecological transition of the industry.
The fair, which for more than two decades has been a point of reference for innovations in the sector, returns to enliven the halls of BolognaFiere and offer the sector an opportunity for discussion and in-depth analysis of these issues, exploring the countless opportunities offered by Industry 5.0.
Investment and incentives for industry: awaiting approval of the Transition 5.0 Plan
Increased productivity (59%), increased monitoring and control of the production facility (54%), and improved technological equipment (46%) and working conditions (33%).
According to the Observatory’s findings, currently, 26% of entrepreneurs plan to apply for incentives, with a particular focus on investments in capital goods, both tangible and intangible, for the reduction of energy consumption (61%), with a view to decreasing their environmental impact for more sustainable processes.
However, despite the fact that more than one-third (36%) of entrepreneurs view the Plan’s proposals positively, there still remains a feeling of uncertainty about the new measures, and about 40% of respondents don’t take a position on them. Precisely in order to dispel any doubts and shed light on the topic, the next edition of MECSPE will give ample space to the subject through dedicated initiatives and institutional guests, in the hope that more and more entrepreneurs will understand the benefits derived from these investments.
Sustainability: attention also along the entire supply chain
The ecological transition is one of the pillars of Plan 5.0 and an imperative for the development and competitiveness of the industry. Although only 42% of companies currently consider themselves to be fairly or very sustainable, there is an increased awareness of ESG criteria: as many as 6 out of 10 companies have already integrated/are integrating them into their business strategy or plan to do so in the near future.
An increase in attention to sustainability is measured on the criteria for selecting suppliers: while in Q1 2023, only 16% of entrepreneurs considered this relevant when selecting their partners, in the same period in 2024, the figure increases to 24%, demonstrating a gradually growing awareness that will increasingly find its way into the ecological transition.
Digitization and AI
Digital growth in manufacturing continues: as many as 7 out of 10 companies say they have had medium to high digital growth in recent years, another aspect on which MECSPE will shine a spotlight to support companies in accelerating the digitization process, which is crucial for the business fabric.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is, without any doubt, one of the innovations that arouse the most interest among entrepreneurs and, according to the Observatory, is no longer scary: 63% of entrepreneurs are confident of the positive impact this technology will have on the industry, an increase compared to the same period last year (59%). In fact, the number of those who are already using or will soon introduce AI in industrial processes is growing (32%), while one-third of companies are inquiring about it.
«The MECSPE Observatory shows renewed optimism among entrepreneurs in the manufacturing sector, with an increase in confidence, satisfaction and, above all, the sector’s willingness to grow.» comments Maruska Sabato, MECSPE project manager. «The data presented are encouraging and demonstrate the resilience and innovation capacity of the sector as it prepares to incorporate the measures of the new Transition 5.0 Plan. In its implementation, the Plan will act as an amplifier of sustainability, supporting the ecological transition of businesses which are increasingly attentive to these issues. The next edition of MECSPE, in Bologna March 5-7, 2025, will be an important opportunity to explore these issues and understand how best to implement measures to create a green and digitized industry of the future.»
MECSPE and METEF together again
The 23rd edition of MECSPE will offer the manufacturing community a strategic platform to discuss all relevant issues for the supply chain and create solutions for the future, accompanying companies toward an increasingly innovative, ethical, and conscious industry.
Also taking place along with MECSPE is METEF, the international aluminum expo, which will target the entire supply chain to promote an increasingly sustainable approach toward the goals of a circular economy and reduced environmental impact.
Sustainability and the green transition will also be the focus of the third edition of the Aluminium Energy Summit, a key event within the show, which will bring together experts and industry leaders to discuss strategies for decarbonization and energy efficiency.
METEF will be the ideal platform for system players to exchange views and present the industry’s latest innovations and best practices.
Facts and figures of MECSPE BOLOGNA 2024
66,906 trade professional 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] MECSPE Observatory on the Manufacturing Industry conducted by GRS Research and Strategy on a sample of 1257 Italian manufacturing companies with CAWI methodology during June 2024.
