A tentative recovery for machine tools, with domestic demand driving the industry

Indicators for the machine tools, robotics and automation industry are back in positive territory. This was announced by the manufacturers themselves, who gathered at a meeting in Milan under the UCIMU banner to present their forecasts for 2026. They describe the coming months as characterised by a “tentative recovery”, driven by improved performance in the domestic market, thanks in part to the availability of the hyper-depreciation scheme, which only came into effect last month.

According to the figures, production is set to reach 6.6 billion euros (+3.9 per cent), whilst the positive trend in domestic deliveries is set to continue, with growth of 8.5 per cent expected to 2.8 billion, driven by Italian demand, which is forecast to reach 4.9 billion (+7.4 per cent). Imports are also set to rise, reaching 2 billion, up 5.9% on last year. Finally, exports will remain at the 2025 level of 3.8 billion (+0.7%).

“2025 was a disappointing year for Italian manufacturers, who had to contend with a sharp fall in overseas sales,” said the president of Ucimu, Riccardo Rosa. “On the domestic front too, despite the recovery, business has been rather unsatisfactory, partly due to the confusion surrounding Transizione 5.0.” Confusion and a fall in domestic orders also characterised the first quarter, but the trend now appears to be reversing. “In this first month of hyper-depreciation, with the GSE Platform now operational, we have already seen a change of pace, and this confirms what we have been saying for some time: namely, that Italian demand is there, but customers were waiting for clarity before finalising their orders.”

Barbara Cimmino, Vice-President for Exports and Investment Attraction, also emphasised the need for stable resources rather than one-off bonuses. “This is a sector of excellence within Italian manufacturing,” she said, “which underpins production across most industrial sectors, and for this very reason, if we fail to look after it, we penalise all the other sectors.”

The international context certainly does not help and requires companies to be increasingly adaptable. “This is why,” continued Cimmino, “we need an open trading system, clear rules and free trade agreements capable of expanding opportunities for our businesses. Mercosur, India, Indonesia and Australia could offer additional export potential of between 20 and 30 per cent for the machine tool sector.”