Innovation

Presses, furnaces and materials: the race for aerospace is on in Bergamo

The presence of companies in the sector is growing. Confindustria in the field to enhance and relaunch the sector

by Luca Orlando

14 February 2026

3' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

3' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

"The latest order? A maxi-press 12 metres long, to make helicopter blades'.

A multi-million euro order, the one mentioned by Marcello Persico, which for the group of the same name from Bergamo is by no means an isolated case. For Persico, the aerospace sector, which in three years has been worth 10 million in revenues, "which will become 15 million in 2026," adds the entrepreneur, "in light of market demand.

Growing specific weight, that of the aerospace sector, visible in the accounts of several companies in the area. This is the result of the constant search for new diversification alternatives for the vast area of suppliers of mechanics, who face great difficulties in some of the major customary outlets, including cars and (by induced effect) machine tools. Bergamo's is an interesting case, certainly not classifiable among the key national aerospace districts and yet, even in the absence of sectoral 'bigs', it has a dynamic export, which has more than tripled since 2022. A trend that Confindustria Bergamo wants to strengthen by pooling the skills of local companies and launching a project that aims to create an integrated pole in the sector in the medium term.

'We want to play an active role,' explains Vice-President for Digital Transition and Innovation Giovanni Fassi, 'to accompany companies, highlight opportunities, and create added value and qualified employment in the future.

Already some thirty companies have been mapped in this area, with a quarter of revenues linked to this sector, including aircraft and helicopters, satellites and launchers. 'Having a multi-specialised territory and a leader in complex manufacturing like ours,' explains the General Director of Confindustria Bergamo, Paolo Piantoni, 'represents a great value: we have skills and capacities in intermediate goods that are largely superimposable with the demands of aerospace, where the opportunities are enormous.

Opportunities that have already been partly intercepted, as the accounts of local companies show. 'Our heat treatment furnaces,' explains Gerolamo Soliveri of Tav Vacuum Furnaces, 'are used by the world's largest aircraft engine manufacturers and we are talking about a share in the order of 20-30% of revenues. The post Covid period has been tough, but in 2025 we have seen an important release of orders'.

Business accessible to structured companies, but also for smaller companies, provided they are able to obtain the necessary certifications. "To date, we develop half a million revenues in this area," explains Valentina Pedretti of Pmp, 8.5 million revenues in mechanical machining for third parties, "but we are counting on growing, to reach 30% of our business. At the moment we are already accredited as Leonardo's Tier 1 for the helicopter sector, but we are working to enter the fixed-wing sector as well'.

The path towards these applications can also represent a concrete alternative for innovative SMEs that initially aimed their spotlight elsewhere, for example in the automotive sector. This is the case of Petroceramics, which is now definitely 'taking off' with a maxi-commission in the stars and stripes for refractory materials with unique characteristics, an order for several 'launches' capable of turning the accounts around. "Last year," explains founder and CEO Massimiliano Valle, "we almost doubled our revenues to seven million, and this year we expect to reach over ten million. And while the automotive sector remains stable, the real progress is right here, in aerospace: each of the parts we make for this customer can cost up to 30 thousand euro and withstand temperatures of up to 3 thousand degrees. The prospects? The world is calling us these weeks, I'd say it's a good time.

Prospects for growth are countered by the long qualification times required of suppliers in a sector that is challenging in terms of quality requirements and processes. This is why, in some cases, the quickest choice to enter the business is growth through external lines. As Fae Technologie did, taking over the Livorno-based Kayser. 'To work in aerospace,' explains CEO Gianmarco Lanza, 'reputation and history are fundamental and rewarding. That is why we decided to take over the company, which already works at the highest level with the main space agencies, both in complex control systems and experiments in micro-gravity conditions. When fully operational, we believe that 15% of revenues could come from here. A share that will remain stable, but only because we are also growing a lot elsewhere'.

Luca Orlandoinviato-caporedattore
- @lucaorlando66
Luogo: Milano
Lingue parlate: Inglese
Argomenti: Imprese, meccanica, innovazione, export, macchinari, Industria 4.0, robot
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