It’s difficult to make forecasts for the future, especially since the current negative economic trend is coupled with an overcapacity in production for the textile sector. My hope is that there will be a recovery in the Countries with a strong textile manufacturing industry, thus triggering investments in new machinery and equipments.

True. Italy’s textile machinery industry has been hit hard by the global economic crisis, just like many other sectors. Given that our sector is highly export oriented, this has entailed a further worsening of business conditions overall. ACIMIT has obviously put forward a variety of requests to authorities, so that adequate support is provided to textile machinery manufacturers. A foremost concern is the need to restore normal credit conditions.

In fact, the greatest problem currently is the difficulty encountered in obtaining credit. Our Association’s lobbying efforts are aimed primarily at sensitizing both the government and banks on this issue.

Definitley! Currently, cutting costs is the main priority for any manufacturer intending to continue to prosper, anywhere in the world. Energy savings, a reduction in the use of water, raw materials and labor are all issues tackled by Italian machinery builders in their products and services. One of the main characteristics regarding Italy’s production of textile machinery is the high level of machine customization applied. Continuous contact allows our machinery builders to adapt machinery technology to the specific needs of customers during this phase.

ACIMIT has been promoting technical and innovative textiles for a number of years now, by providing its members information on markets and products, and through ad hoc promotional activities. Above all in Western Countries, although not exclusively, these market niches represent the future for the textile industry. And a growing number of our manufacturers are shifting their production to satisfy the needs of customers working in this sector. However, it would be incorrect to think that non-woven fabrics and technical textiles are a growing market segment only in Europe and the United States. The latest technology symposiums on technical textiles organized by Italian Institute For Foreign Trade and ACIMIT in India and China revealed a fair number of relevant local manufacturers. Regarding the different sectors comprising technical textiles, it’s difficult to foresee which of these will grow more rapidly over the coming years. Currently, it would appear that the personal hygiene, medical and automotive sectors are all promising emerging markets.

For the current year, as well as for 2010, ACIMIT and Italian Institute For Foreign Trade will be promoting a great number of initiatives, in spite of the crisis. As always, our activities comprise technology symposiums aimed at the most promising foreign markets, training courses for foreign operators held in Italy, and our participation at the industry’s most prominent trade fairs. We also devote a great deal of attention to students, both Italian and foreigners, through technology awards which reward university students in a variety of foreign Countries with scholarships in Italy allowing them to visit the excellence of the Italian textile machinery industry. The first students to arrive in Italy will hail from Brazil and India.

My pleasure too!