Italy’s manufacturing industry is a major engine of this growth. Manufacturing activity rose for the sixteenth straight month in October 2021, with business information service IHS Markit saying that the sector had achieved “stellar performance during October, opening the final quarter of the year with a near record improvement in conditions amid further steep rises in output and new orders”. Purchasing managers report strong demand on both the domestic and international markets.
The innovative, international outlook of Italian manufacturers is typified by IMA Group, a world leader in the design and manufacture of machines for the processing and packaging of goods as diverse as pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, food, tea and coffee, and tobacco. The company expects to achieve around $2bn in worldwide sales in 2021, nearly 85% of which came from outside Italy. Some 18% came from North America – where IMA sees particular potential for growth.