During a recent exclusive interview with Dr. Giorgio Colombo, President of Italy's ASSOCOMAPLAST, the national association for plastics and rubber processing machinery and mold manufacturers' association, he shared his thoughts and insights on the industry's transitional period experienced in 2013, current and future challenges faced by manufacturers and a clear outlook for 2014. President, do you feel that 2013 may be considered a year with more light or more shadow for the Italian plastics and rubber machinery industry? I think that 2013 is a year of transition after strong growth in 2011

The first edition of MECHA-TRONIKA, the fair of intelligence for the industrial production recently completed its successful run October 23-26 at the Fiera Milano trade show center in Milan, Italy. MECHA-TRONIKA is a premier show dedicated to the systems and technologies able to optimize the machines, processes and systems management. Organised by EFIM-ENTE FIERE ITALIANE MACCHINE and FIERA MILANO, MECHA-TRONIKA is promoted by the official representatives of the sectors on display: AIDAM, Italian association of automation and mechatronics; ASSODEL, national association of electronic suppliers

During the second quarter of 2013, new orders for textile machinery, as elaborated by ACIMIT’s economics and press department, showed signs of growth compared to the same period for 2012 (+12%). The absolute index stood at 92.2 points (basis 2010=100). These figures are the result of a growing rate of new orders abroad (+14%), and a stable domestic market (-1%). Compared to the previous economic quarter, the orders index appears to have improved both domestically and abroad. ACIMIT President Raffaella Carabelli confirms, “Overall figures show a definite improvement with respect to the previous

Milan, June 18th 2013 – Marco Calcagni (Omet) is the new President of ACIMGA for the two-year period 2013-2014. Elected during the General Member Assembly that took place today in Milan, Calcagni will be flanked by Vice-President Aldo Peretti (Uteco Converting) and by the following offices: Board of Directors Ugo Barzanò, past president (IMS Deltamatic), Silvana Canette past president (Flexotecnica), Felice Rossini past president (Rossini), Daniele Barbui (ACE di Barbui Davide&Figli), Alberto Brivio (BP Agnati), Giovanni Cama (Cason), Alfredo Cerciello (Nordmeccanica), Costanza Cerutti

On 6 June 2013, at Verdellino-Zingonia, CESAP hosted the annual meeting of Assocomaplast (the Italian trade association belonging to Confindustria, which groups together some 160 manufacturers of machinery, moulds and equipment for plastics and rubber). The association's president, Giorgio Colombo, opened his presentation by confirming the dates of the upcoming PLAST trade show, which is organised by Promaplast srl, Assocomaplast's commercial company, and will be held in Milan May 5-9 2015. This means that the three-yearly international plastics and rubber industry event will be opening its

Machines Italia NAFTA will be one of the presenters during the June 11th Conference / Seminar entitled Business in the US: Do Right, Do It Now held onsite during the Italian Packaging Machinery Show: Packology 2013 in Rimini (June 11-14, 2013). Machines Italia representatives from the Chicago Office of the Italian Trade Commission (ITC) will present the numerous and beneficial tools available to Italian packaging machinery manufacturers, offered by the ITC to Italian companies looking to enter or reinforce their presence in the US market. Scheduled attendence number is to be over 100

During a roundtable discussion organized on 20 March 2013 at the European Parliament in Brussels, the European coalition of machinery industry associations, represented by CECE, CECIMO, CEMA, FEM and EUROMAP, called on the European Parliament to fully support and further strengthen the Commission proposal for a new Regulation on Market Surveillance. During the discussions, there was widespread agreement that the legislative package presents a unique opportunity to finally achieve a level playing field in the Single Market and is a landmark initiative to support the EU's re-industrialization