Despite the difficult “deployment” of the procedures, and waiting for the simplification measures, the incentives for “Industry 5.0” initiatives are starting to generate some effects also in the industry of machinery and technology for wood and wood-based materials, especially for large plants. This is the first consideration emerging from the data of the third quarter 2024, processed by the Studies Office of Acimall, the Confindustria member association representing Italian manufacturers.
A shot in the arm for the Italian market, after more than two years of dropping orders, a trend reversal that will hopefully be repeated soon also in export, taking the total value of orders finally back to positive.
The association’s quarterly survey depicts another quarter of shrinking business, with order decreasing by another 9.4 percent compared to the same period of 2023. Good news come from domestic demand, up by 16.1 percent compared to the third quarter of the current year. Further reduction also for orders from abroad, losing another 12.4 percent.
The orders book is up to a backlog of 3 months (it was 2.9 months in the April-June period of this year), while prices since January 1st, 2024, have increased by 1.6 percent.
The sentiment of industry companies is quite clear from the values of the quality survey, indicating that 50 percent of the interviewees expect stable production, while another 50 percent fear further reduction. No one believes that there can be any growth.
Compared to the previous quarter, the percentage of interviewees who expect falling employment is unvaried (20 percent), while substantial stability is predicted by 75 percent, a decreasing share. Only 5 percent are confident about a possible increase.
Available stocks are stable according to 65 percent of the interviewees, increasing for 25 percent and decreasing for 10 percent.
Very interesting figures emerge from the forecast survey, with a domestic market outlook where 55 percent expect a period of stability (versus 50 percent in the previous quarter), 5 percent expect growth (same share as in April-June 2024) and 40 fear further reduction (it was 45 percent in the previous quarter). As to the foreign market, 65 percent of the sample see a stable trend (versus 50 percent), 35 percent a worsening situation (same value of the previous quarter) and no one believes that the situation will improve (“optimists” were 15 percent in the April-June period).
