Ceramic machinery: the Italian industry’s preliminary 2025

According to the preliminary figures compiled by the MECS – Acimac Research Centre, Italy’s ceramic machinery and equipment manufacturers are set to close 2025 with a smaller decline in turnover than originally forecast at the start of the year. Acimac’s Chairman Paolo Lamberti noted: “The market remains stagnant due to installed overcapacity and Asian competition.”

The Italian ceramic machinery and equipment industry is expected to close 2025 with total turnover of €1,732 million, down 5.1% from €1,825 million in 2024. That follows a much sharper contraction in 2024 (-24%), bringing 2025 sales broadly back to 2019 levels.

According to preliminary figures compiled by the MECS - Acimac Research Centre, the slowdown affects both exports and the domestic market. Domestic sales generated revenues of €518 million, a 3.1% decline on 2024, while exports totalled €1.214 billion, down 5.9% year on year.

These results reflect a persistently challenging scenario amid ongoing instability in the international socioeconomic environment and growing competition from overseas manufacturers, particularly in Asia. At the same time, the sector is going through a period of natural adjustment following the significant investments made in recent years by the world’s leading ceramic manufacturing groups. Despite this, the downturn is less severe than initial estimates suggested, confirming the resilience of Italian companies and the presence of factors that may lead to a recovery in the not too distant future.

“If the preliminary figures are confirmed, 2025 has turned out better than we were expecting at the beginning of the year,” commented Acimac’s Chairman Paolo Lamberti. “We are operating in a complex landscape: international competition, particularly from China, has become more aggressive and requires us to maintain a constant focus on our commercial and manufacturing strategies. However, we are seeing a number of tangible developments that may drive demand, including the prospect of a medium-term recovery in construction and the need in several countries to replace obsolete plants. This represents a major opportunity for Italian companies to supply high-tech, high value-added solutions. Finally, we back Confindustria’s call for the European Union to strengthen its industrial base and support European-made products in order to create a more level playing field with respect to international competitors.”