Rebuilding a Competitive Supply Chain by Putting Consumers First and Focusing on Hybrid, Electric, Digital Technologies and Product Quality.
Putting consumers first and focusing on hybrid, electric, digital technologies and product quality. These are the key priorities that the Italian and European automotive industry must embrace over the coming years to remain competitive on the global stage. According to an analysis by MECSPE, the leading trade fair for innovation in the manufacturing industry (BolognaFiere, 3–5 March 2027), based in part on Deloitte’s Global Automotive Consumer Study 2026, product quality will become the most decisive factor in consumers’ choice of a new vehicle. Among Italian respondents, 51% identified product quality as their top priority, ahead of price (49%) and performance (38%).
At the same time, the importance of digital technologies continues to grow. Nearly half of Italian consumers consider the in-vehicle digital ecosystem to be as important as their smartphone, while 40% say they are ready to use artificial intelligence-based features, compared with a European average of 31%.
These figures highlight that Italian consumers are paying greater attention to digital technologies than their counterparts in the rest of Europe. In short: the manufacturing sector is set to undergo a more far-reaching transformation in the next years, in which mechanical components will become increasingly integrated with hardware and software across the entire production process, driving the development of sophisticated electronic components and sensor technologies.
"Italian consumers are adopting a pragmatic approach to the future of mobility, they prioritize vehicle quality, price and performance above all else," says Franco Orsogna, Responsible for the Automotive Sector at Deloitte Central Mediterranean. "Electric vehicles are gradually becoming more widely accepted but the choice remains tied to very practical factors, such as operating costs, incentives and the convenience of daily charging. At the same time, demand for connected and digital services is growing steadily. Italian drivers are increasingly willing to pay for safety, assistance and personalization features, particularly when they provide tangible value. The transformation of the automotive sector therefore affects the entire ecosystem—from the product itself to technologies, services and after-sales support. This is a challenge that directly calls into question the manufacturing sector’s ability to integrate increasingly interconnected mechanical, electronic and digital expertise.”
To meet these challenges, investment, a great deal of innovation and new skills are needed, turning the current transition into an opportunity for renewed growth. According to business owners, automation and robotics to improve production efficiency (34% of business), as well as digitalization and process interconnectivity (33%) and customization and bespoke production (31%) are the main trends that are emerging in the coming years to modernize factories.
In this context, there is a need for guidance that can genuinely help business owners to find the right solution to improve their company’s production activities. MECSPE brings all these elements together, confirming its role as both a leading industry observatory and a key meeting point for companies to navigate the sector's transformation, drawing on dedicated initiatives such as the one in collaboration with ANFIA – Italian Trade Association of the Automotive Industry Supply Chain, which highlights the link between training, research and industry through projects designed to introduce new generations of engineers to the ongoing transformation of the automotive sector—from hybrid and electric technologies to driverless mobility solutions.
Alongside these are special projects and initiatives such as MECSPE LAB – Innovation Space, designed toanticipate market trends and foster dialogue between companies, technology partners and industry experts, and the Additive Manufacturing Arena, a dedicated space showcasing additive manufacturing technologies through live demonstrations, panel discussions, case studies and in-depth sessions on the latest industrial developments. "The automotive sector is one of the most known examples of the transformation currently reshaping Italian manufacturing," saiys Maruska Sabato, Project Manager of MECSPE. "Datas from the MECSPE Observatory clearly show that companies are focusing above all on production efficiency, digitalisation and customisation—a concrete response to rapidly changing demand, characterised by growing acceptance of hybrid and electric mobility alongside an increasing integration of digital and electronic content within vehicles. For the supply chain, this means being able to manage a gradual yet profound transformation, in which production flexibility, specialised expertise in electronics and software, and the ability to innovate across the entire value chain become essential. This is precisely the direction in which MECSPE is working: connecting companies with the technologies, skills and partners they need to successfully navigate this transition, while offering visitors to the next edition a comprehensive overview of the major changes shaping the automotive industry."
From March 3 to 5, 2027, MECSPE will once again be the place where industry leaders come together to look toward the future of Italian manufacturing.
For more information: www.mecspe.com/en
MECSPE Exhibition HallsMachines and Tools - Machine tools, Equipment, Tools and Design Software; Sheet Metal Working Machines - Bending, Stamping, Cutting, Assembly, Welding, Materials and Software; Digital Factory - Industrial Informatics, IoT, Industrial Sensing, Cloud-manufacturing, Automatic Identification Technologies, Applications, Devices, Instrumentation and Intelligent Components for Process Interpretation and Interconnection; Logistics - Packaging, Packaging, Handling, Material handling, Lean manufacturing, Warehouse management software, Supply chain management, Security Systems, PPE, Third party; Mechanical Subcontracting - Precision Machining, Metal Carpentry, Mechanical Constructions, Fasteners, Foundries, Minuteries, Wire Processing, Third Party Industrial Processing, Micromachining; Eurostampi, plastics , rubber and composites - Plastics, rubber and composites processing, Machinery and equipment, Auxiliary equipment, Innovative materials, Molding, Extrusion, Packaging, Blowing, Molds, Models, Normalized mold components, Design, Simulation and design software, Micromachining; Additive Manufacturing - 3D Printing, Rapid Prototyping, Rapid Manufacturing, Systems and services for reverse engineering, Additive Technology, Materials, Services, Hardware: 3D printers and scanners, accessories, Simulation and design software; Treatments and Finishes -Surface treatment equipment, Furnaces, Electroplating, Chemical and electronic processes, Washing, Metallization, Enameling, Galvanizing, Products and accessories for treatments, Heat Treatments, Painting; Nonferrous Materials and Alloys - Nonferrous materials processing (Aluminum, Titanium, Magnesium, Light alloys), Die castings, Foundries, Contract industrial processing, Technologies, Design, Engineering; Automationand Robotics -Assembly \ Automation and robotics \ Electronic components manufacturing and distribution \ Electronic Design - ED-EDA \ Electronic subcontracting (EMS) \ Instrumentation and test systems \ Mounting and handling \ Production and distribution of machines for electronic manufacturing \ Production consumables and equipment; Control and Quality-Certification and Quality Control, Metrology, Measuring Instruments, Laboratory Testing, Calibration, Analytical Equipment, Vision; Power Drive-Mechanical Power Transmission Parts, Hydraulics, Pneumatics, Mechatronics, Motion Control, Maintenance, Compressed Air.
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