Lombardy, manufacturing up in the third quarter

(Il Sole 24 Ore Radiocor) - Lombardy's manufacturing industry also grew in the third quarter of 2025, marking the fourth positive economic change. In the July-September period, industrial production in Lombardy rose by 0.7% and turnover by 1.6% compared to the previous three months. The handicraft sector also recorded an increase in both production levels (+0.6%) and turnover (+0.9%), according to the Unioncamere Lombardy Economic Observatory. The President of the Lombardy Region, Attilio Fontana, expressed "satisfaction for a manufacturing trend that confirms the strength and solidity of the Lombardy system, despite the difficulties and complexities that characterise the international context. Entrepreneurs and workers once again demonstrate competence, professionalism and a work culture typical of our land. As a Region, we are continuing our synergy with all the players in the economic-productive fabric, implementing measures to accompany investments'.

In detail, Lombardy's industry confirmed positive signs supported by the strengthening of domestic demand and the good performance of foreign orders, which continue to represent the main driver of manufacturing. In the reference quarter, industrial production in Lombardy increased by 1.3% compared to the previous quarter and by 4.1% year-on-year. Employment remained stable, with the balance of entries and exits almost unchanged (-0.1%), while the use of redundancy funds remained at low levels. At a sectoral level, foodstuffs, mechanics and the leather-footwear sector recorded the strongest growth. Clothing also showed signs of recovery in Q3 2025. In contrast, difficulties persist for chemicals and textiles, the latter characterised by a phase of substantial stagnation. For the future, the majority of companies expect substantial stability in production, turnover, orders and employment, although some concern remains for domestic demand. On the risk front, among the main critical issues reported by companies, also shared by the artisan world, are geopolitical risks and the increase in tariffs, with potential impacts on exports.

"Considering both the geopolitical situation and the economic contingency, the data are excellent and represent a further positive sign of recovery. We, with the 'Development Innovation Zones' and the innovation support tools, continue to do our part, but I reiterate the need for structural intervention on energy costs, which are still too high to be competitive; just as we need a change of course in the European Commission's policies, as the current Commission has not yet concretely distanced itself from the previous one with respect to anti-manufacturing choices,' said Lombardy Region Economic Development Councillor Guido Guidesi.

"This quarter's figures confirm the extraordinary ability of our production system to adapt and react. Lombard manufacturing, together with the craft sector, once again demonstrates that it knows how to seize market opportunities, both domestic and foreign, maintaining a solid and constant growth trajectory. Exports continue to be a key driver, but the contribution of domestic demand is also significant, which is once again supporting companies in a complex phase of the international economic scenario. This resilience is not the result of chance: it is the result of the daily commitment of our companies, of their ability to innovate, and of the strength of the Lombardy Chamber system, which continues to be a point of reference in accompanying the development of the territory," specified the president of Unioncamere Lombardy, Gian Domenico Auricchio

"Lombardy, driven by exports, confirms itself as the Italian and European locomotive. The solidity of Lombardy's industry emerges in particular from the comparison with 2024: production +2.2%, turnover 4.4% and foreign orders 4.1%," stressed Giuseppe Pasini, president of Confindustria Lombardia. "The ability of companies in Lombardy to open up new markets and the slowdown in the cost of raw materials have helped sustain growth and, as also confirmed by the Confindustria Study Centre, the main strength of our manufacturing sector is the high quality of our products and competitive prices. International instability and the high cost of energy are worrying: bills for Italian companies and citizens are the most expensive in Europe, and for three years now Lombard companies have been competing in an environment characterised by unfair competition,' Pasini added. "The tool of production chains, which has been put in place in recent years, and the recent introduction of Zis (Zones of Innovation and Development) are two models that complement each other perfectly, creating a perfect union and aiming to strengthen Lombardy's competitiveness on the global scene, by facilitating and giving rise to collaborations between companies, universities, public bodies, training institutions and social realities, so as to strengthen territorial ecosystems, facilitating attractiveness and making them capable of generating economic and social values,' concluded the president of Casartigiani Lombardia, Mauro Sangalli.