Already 2656 exhibitors from 54 countries and 126,585 square metres have been confirmed three months before the event. Expectations are growing for The Innovation Alliance, the new trade fair, which will take place from May 29 to June 1, 2018, at Fiera Milano. The event will include, for the first time, five events with linked by a common thread, i.e. the supply chain logic: Plast, the reference event for the plastic and rubber industry; Ipack-Ima, the leading event for processing and packaging technologies; Meat-Tech, the event specialised in meat processing and packaging; Print4All, the new format dedicated to the commercial and industrial printing industry; Intralogistica Italia, the event that combines innovative solutions and integrated systems for industrial handling, warehouse management, material storage, and picking operations.

The Innovation Alliance focuses on an innovative cross-cutting supply chain, increasingly oriented towards new integration perspectives, even thanks to the growing popularity of Industry 4.0. At the same time, it showcases leading industrial segments, which make Italy the world’s second manufacturer of industrial machinery.

The Innovation Alliance will occupy 17 pavillions, essentially the entire area of the Fiera Milano exhibition district, representing the largest event ever dedicated to industrial machinery in Italy and one of the leading sector events in Europe. An insight into highly innovative markets, which together, in Italy, record a turnover of 23.7 billion euros and over 70,000 employees (the 2017 preliminary consolidated results are provided by Acimga, Amaplast, Anima, Argi, Ucima) and in most cases, they have an export level close to 70%, thus offering an example of the great appreciation Italy’s industrial products have around the world.

The specialised offering provided by the five events will be the focus of this exhibition project. However, there will also be opportunities for a cross-cutting reflection on new materials and technologies and research and development to enable companies to continue to be competitive in today’s market.

“Trade fairs aim at anticipating the market’s development - declared Lorenzo Caprio, president of Fiera Milano - that’s why we shared this project, which the organisers of all the involved events strongly believed in. This international appointment will provide interesting content and opportunities. The promotion of the single events and associations involved, the work carried out by Fiera Milano and ICE (the Italian trade agency) have positioned The Innovation Alliance as one of the greatest events in Europe for industry players from all over the world”.

The wide and cross-cutting offer makes this event truly unique in Europe. An attractive feature, especially for international players, who will find interesting added value, which will allow them to know more about this industry in a system logic in which everything is connected.

A whopping 1,000 profiled top buyers from 51 countries will join the numerous international operators, thanks to the effort of the organisers and ICE. Top managers of major manufacturing companies will come to evaluate and buy the technology showcased at the trade fair.

 “The Innovation Alliance will be a major event to showcase Italy’s advanced technological offering and support a set of sectors that live on exports and whose results reveal the place of Italian-made quality at the highest levels. - commented Michele Scannavini, president of ICE - As a confirmation of the synergy between Mise and ICE for Innovation Alliance, ICE’s involvement will attract buyers from major markets with the highest growth potential”.

Italy-made products in the world (and back)

The Made in Italy label defines the excellence of Italian-made products exported in the world. When it comes to industrial machinery - oriented towards strong synergies between sectors and integration between technologies - it also indicates the Italianness expressed as versatility and ability to solve complex production issues and demanding requests with tailor-made solutions.

Italian-made machinery is feeding the new market that we like to call “Made with Italy”, where the excellence of instrumental mechanics has become essential for manufacturing goods and products worldwide. Market figures show that export is still as strong as ever, but the domestic demand is on the rise again.

The importance of the manufacturing companies that will be part of The Innovation Alliance is confirmed by the 2017 preliminary year-end data (Italian market). The rubber and plastic processing machinery sector is worth 4.5 billion euros, representing a 5% increase in terms of turnover (source: Amaplast) and exports equal to 70%. The packaging and processing sector, with an overall value amounting to 10.8 billion euros, has seen a +5.9% increase in turnover (source: Ipack-Ima research centre derived from Ucima and Anima data) and exports equal to 69%. The industrial printing and converting machinery segment has seen growth of 13% and a turnover equal to 3.2 billion euros (source: Acimga and Argi) and exports equal to 67%. Even the internal logistics segment has seen growth of 5.4%, with an overall turnover equal to 5.2 billion euros and exports equal to 36% (source: Anima).

The target countries for the Italian export in these sectors are many: Germany, Spain, and France are the first purchasers in all segments except for logistics, whereas the USA are the top non-European buyer. The Innovation Alliance will be a test field to understand the directions in which Italy’s industrial machinery exports and international trade are moving.

Synergies: associations, institutions, specialized businesses

The event brings together the competencies of two major European trade fair organisers – Fiera Milano and Deutsche Messe - and major supply chain Italian associations: Acimga (association of Italian machinery manufacturers for the graphic, converting and paper industry), Amaplast (association of Italian manufacturers of plastic and rubber processing machinery and moulds) and Ucima (association of Italian manufacturers of automatic packaging and processing machines) - and Argi (the Italian association of graphic industry suppliers).