2016 closed with a positive sign: this is the final result of a 12-month period characterized by a clearly positive trend of technology, equipment and tools for wood and wood-based materials. As we wait for final figures, the Studies Office of Acimall – the Confindustria member association that represents the companies of this excellent “made in Italy” sector – estimates that production in 2016 amounted to 2,078 million euro, 11.5 percent more than 1,864 in 2015. This percent variation is very similar to the result of 2015 versus 2014, when an 11.7 percent increase was recorded. The growth of

The 2017 EXPO PACK will take place in Guadajara, JA, from June 13 to 17. Fifteen thousand professional buyers - from a wide range of industries, including food processing, beverage, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics & personal care, graphic arts, chemicals, textile, footwear, automotive, hardware, furniture and electronics - will attend the Guadalajara event; the largest Latin American show for packaging and processing technologies and materials. EXPO PACK Guadajara 2017 will feature 500 companies on nearly 13,000 net square meters of exhibit space (140,000 net square feet). The Italian Trade

The 31st edition of IMTS, the biannual -International Manufacturing Technology Show, took place at the landmark McCormick Place, from September 12 to 17, 2016. The event featured metalworking technology, robotics, automation, welding equipment. The figures of IMTS 2016 were impressive: - 2,407 exhibitors, the highest ever, - 115,612 visitors from 117 countries, - 1.3 million square feet of exhibition space. The Italian Trade Commission (ITA) Chicago office and Machines Italia USA were at the show to support the large contingent of Italian exhibitors: Over 120. An information desk with UCIMU

Italy’s EURO GROUP SPA EURO GROUP SPA and Kuroda PrecisionIndustries Ltd. from Japan established a Strategic Alliance for the production and sales of stator and rotor laminations for electrical motors and generators in the American Market. As a first step, Euro Group and Kuroda have decided to operate together in the United States, by bringing their respective skills and a commitment to extend this cooperation to other regions. Euro Group will secure to the Alliance its existing Global Manufacturing capacity and Technologies, while Kuroda, in conjunction with Euro Group’s tooling expert

No limit to imagination. A slogan that, in Sacmi’s case, translates into new technology for decorating caps, designed to complement plant and machinery used all over the world for manufacturing plastic caps – a field in which Sacmi is the world leader – with a solution capable of highlighting essential aspects for developing the brand and showcasing the product. It is the new COLORA CAP, the machine for digital decoration of plastic caps that will be presented at the Plastic Caps & Closure Conference in Chicago, the sector’s most important symposium in North America and a key occasion

Zapi Group, the Italian-based leader in motion and transmission components for batteries and hybrid-powered vehicles acquired Delta-Q, a Canadian company that designs chargers for electric vehicles, including golf cars, scissor lifts and floor cleaners. Delta-Q’s co-founder and CEO, Ken Fielding, said the deal will accelerate Delta-Q’s growth and strengthen its product and service lineup. “We are excited about where we can go next, building on the exceptional capabilities, our team, our strong core values and further leveraging the Delta-Q brand which is well recognized in our markets,”

IPACK-IMA has kicked off the new year with a packed programme of promotional events, intense media planning and new web initiatives for the next edition of the show due to be held in 2018. With 16 months still to go before the event begins, 60% of the exhibition space has already been booked by leading Italian and international processing and packaging technology companies. Alongside a direct sales network spanning 41 countries, in 2017 the promotional activities for IPACK-IMA will extend across numerous shows through collective participations organised by UCIMA. The first event will be Propak

ASSIOT is the Italian Association of Gears and Transmission Systems Manufacturers. Founded in 1971, ASSIOT’s membership is now 100 companies strong, which represent 70% of the Italian power transmissions manufacturing industry, and approximately 9,000 employees. ASSIOT became the16th Machines Italia partner associations. Now the Italian Trade Commission’s sponsored project embraces 16 key industrial technology and machinery sectors. For further information on ASSIOT and the power transmissions industry, please contact assiot [at] assiot.it (subject: Machines%20Italia%20E-newsletter%20) .

Since 1939, Cibus Tec has been showcasing innovations and advanced technology for the foods processing industry. The 2016 Cibus Tec which took place in Parma from October 25 to 28, featured a wide range of processing technologies, from packaging to logistics – for all types of products: fruit & vegetables, milk & dairy products, meat & seafood, convenience food & fresh cut, bakery and cereals by products, ice cream and dessert, coffee and single serve, confectionery and liquid foods. The Italian Trade Commission (ITA) and FierediParma, the trade show organizer, invited delegations of buyers

On the heels of the Italian Ministry of Economic Development’s launch of the Industrial National Plan 4.0, Machines Italia USA and the Italian Trade Commission (ITA) Chicago office hosted a conversation on the ground-breaking collaborations between Italian and US companies in advanced manufacturing and the emergence of the Industry 4.0. The event took place on October 18th, 2016 at the Samberg Conference Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, in Cambridge, MA, as part of EmTech 2016. Among the panelists: • Michele Scannavini, President of the Italian Trade Commission (ITA) • Stefano