ITMA 2019 attracted 105,000 visitors from 137 countries. © Innovation in Textiles

The 18th edition of ITMA, the global textile machinery trade fair, which has just concluded in Barcelona, has proven to be a great success for Italian textile machinery manufacturers. ACIMIT President Alessandro Zucchi stated that he noted “a great many satisfied exhibitors and visitors, which is a clear sign of optimism for Italy’s textile machinery sector.”

ITMA 2019, held in Barcelona in June, closed with some positive figures. Overall, the halls that held 1,717 exhibitors witnessed the passage of 105,000 visitors from 137 countries over the show’s seven days.

Confirming leadership position

Italy confirmed its leadership position as the country with the most exhibitors (364), coming in second in terms of the number of visitors, just behind Spain. The main visitor countries also included India (8%), Turkey and Germany (7%).

“ITMA remains a must-see event for the industry, and the primary global stage at which to show new developments in technology,” commented Alessandro Zucchi, President of ACIMIT, the Association of Italian Textile Machinery Manufacturers.

“As far as our own country is concerned, the number of Italian exhibitors and visitors bears witness to the vitality of our textile industry. The visibility of Italy’s contingent and presence is the result of the profound commitment, including in economic terms, made by our businesses, along with indispensable support in the realisation of significant promotional initiatives for ITMA carried out by the Italian Ministry of Economic Development and the Italian Trade Agency.”

Eco-sustainable solutions

Solutions for increasingly eco-sustainable textile processes were being proposed by the majority of exhibitors. Here too, Italy proved to be top of its class, with a product offering that provides savings in water, energy and raw materials.

Sustainability was also the main focus at the ACIMIT press conference, at which the ACIMIT Green Label Awards were assigned to two Italian machinery manufacturers, Tonello and Loptex, who have stood out for their commitment in reducing the quantity of equivalent emissions of carbon dioxide produced during the operation of their machinery over the last few years.

Wide scale modernisation

Italian companies have also been major players in the wide scale modernisation project of the textiles industry in Egypt, presented at ITMA by representatives of the Egyptian government. Projected investments between 2019 and 2021 will amount to EUR 1 billion, with the first phase including machinery by some notable Italian machinery manufacturers: EFI Reggiani, ITEMA, Marzoli and Savio.

“The many innovations we’ve seen in Barcelona, both in the areas of sustainability and digitalization, certainly enhanced the interest of countless visitors. I believe that for a great many machinery manufacturers, the combination of sustainability and innovation will once again represent the key to success at the next edition of ITMA, slated to be held in Milan from 8 to 14 June 2023,” concluded Mr Zucchi.

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