In the first quarter of 2018, the UCIMU (Italy’s trade association for manufacturers of machine tools, robots and automation systems) index of machine tool orders went down by 4.3% compared with Q1 2017. However, the absolute value (base 2010 = 100) remained high at 179.6.

Foreign orders in Q1 registered a 7.6% increase compared with Q1 2017, for an absolute value of 180.8 — the highest it has ever been. In contrast, domestic orders were down 25.8% compared with Q1 2017, for an absolute value of 175.3; this is 75 points above the average, confirming that the Italian market is “still ready to invest”.

UCIMU president Massimo Carboniero (pictured) said (www.ucimu.it): “We are not worried about the slowdown in Q1 orders from the domestic market, for two reasons.

"First, because the outcome is clearly the rebound effect of the exceptional events at the end of 2017 when, fearing that the super- and hyper-depreciation incentive measures would not be confirmed, customers accelerated placing orders.

"The second reason is because the result is compared with a really strong first quarter of 2017; and while the order situation in Italy was weak in January, the situation has improved in the following months.

“However, the expected recovery might now be penalised by the political uncertainty that our country is encountering, following the elections in March. We need a Government plan aimed at the developing the competitiveness of the manufacturing sector.”