Lighting technology, sector on the upswing in early 2024

In spite of the less than brilliant market situation for all Italian and European manufacturing, the Italian lighting industry closed 2023 with a substantial resilience, registering a total production turnover of about 2.8 billion euros (this is the value of the 90 member companies of Assil, representing 65% of the sector), up by 0.4% compared to 2022 and confirming its position as the second largest production hub in the European Union, after Germany.

The figures were released last Thursday during the assembly of Assil, the national association of lighting manufacturers federated by Anie Confindustria, which elected the new top management of the association, including the new president for the two-year period 2024-2026, Carlo Comandini, managing director of Vossloh-Schwabe Italia.

The sector's performance in 2023 was affected by weak consumption trends, penalised by the impact of energy costs on household income and by a decrease in investments. Signs of a slowdown also emerged on foreign markets (+0.2% change in foreign sales at current values). Looking at the main destination countries, the weak profile of the German market, Italy's main trading partner, weighed on the aggregate result (+0.3% in 2023 and -5.4% in 2022).

In the first months of 2024, however, industrial production volumes are expected to recover and a growth-driving role is also expected from the international markets, where in a slowly recovering environment, growth opportunities will also return to the European markets.

These data make us reflect on the importance of a strategic sector for the Italian economy and for the entrepreneurial production fabric. It is precisely from the results achieved by the sector that the newly appointed president Comandini starts to outline the association's future. "An association that interprets its role in a contemporary way must invite entrepreneurs to invest part of their time in the life of the association by sharing with their colleagues a vision of the future of lighting, of current and future problems, highlighting support needs in favour of the sector and member companies," said the president. Assil must have cohesion, sharing and collaboration as guiding values to enable the strong, integrated and synergic development of our sector. The Association can and must develop an evolved system of support services by identifying qualified partners to be at the side of entrepreneurs and help them manage their businesses in the best possible way'.