MECSPE OBSERVATORY – Q1 2026
Can uncertainty in global markets become a driver of change for Italian companies? Manufacturing appears to answer yes. Faced with an unstable international scenario, companies are not standing still: they are investing in production processes, innovating, looking abroad as an opportunity, and focusing on energy efficiency to strengthen competitiveness and resilience. This is the picture that emerges from the MECSPE Observatory, the leading trade show for the manufacturing industry, scheduled in Bologna from 3 to 5 March 2027, with reference to the first four months of 2026.
To understand the current state and potential of Italian manufacturing, which in 2026 will reach a value of €1.168 billion and could grow at an average annual rate of 1% at constant prices between 2027 and 2030, it is necessary to start with entrepreneurs’ level of satisfaction. In the first four months of 2026, the picture that emerges cannot be described as brilliant, but neither critical: only 16% of respondents report a low level of satisfaction, while 55% describe it as medium and 29% as high.
This cautious optimism reflects company performance: almost two thirds of businesses (63%) say they are in line with the targets set for 2026; in the first four months of the year, more than three out of four companies recorded stable or growing revenues compared with the same period in 2025, while more than one in two consider their order backlog to be at least sufficient.
Looking to the future, too, there is caution but no pessimism: 85% of companies are approaching 2026-2027 with at least moderate confidence, including 22% with high expectations. The context remains challenging, but it is also pushing companies to accelerate change. While international uncertainty is the main critical issue for almost half of companies (48%), followed by the general market trend (41%) and the increase in raw material prices (40%), these pressures are prompting entrepreneurs to rethink strategies, processes and investment priorities in innovation and efficiency. This approach confirms Italian manufacturing’s ability to react and turn difficulties into new opportunities for growth.
Automation and digital: today’s challenges accelerate innovation
Innovation is therefore one of the main drivers of change. Among the trends set to emerge or strengthen in the coming years, entrepreneurs rank automation and robotics for production efficiency first (34%), followed by digitalization and process interconnection (33%) and customization and made-to-measure production (31%). Attention is also growing toward longer-term transformations: 27% identify environmental sustainability and low-impact processes as one of the main development directions, while 23% see the energy transition and reduced consumption as strategic areas for investment.
Companies’ strategy therefore appears gradual and concrete: starting with technologies capable of generating immediate benefits in terms of productivity, quality and efficiency, thereby laying the groundwork for deeper transformations. Along this path, MECSPE confirms its role as the place where change takes shape, offering concrete opportunities for discussion and updates through initiatives such as MECSPE LAB – Innovation Area, a special area designed to anticipate market trends and disseminate innovation content, and the MECSPE Arena, a reference point for debate on the strategic themes shaping the future of the manufacturing industry.
Exports, confidence grows: 88% of companies see opportunities in foreign markets
Encouraging signs are also emerging in export prospects: 88% of companies look ahead to 2026-2027 with confidence, a figure that has increased compared with the previous survey and confirms the central role of foreign markets in the sector’s development strategies.
Rather than pulling back, companies are redefining their expansion paths. Among exporting companies, 33% aim to consolidate their presence in markets where they are already established and which are considered more stable, while 32% are looking at new destinations to diversify risk and seize further business opportunities. A further 22% are seeking more reliable, locally rooted partners and distributors.
Concern about tariffs also appears more limited: more than half of companies say they are little or not at all concerned about their impact on future business prospects. After an initial phase of heightened attention, a significant portion of the production system seems to have begun adapting to the new trade scenario by adjusting strategies and business models in order to continue competing in international markets.
Energy and supply chains: cost pressures drive new investments
Another challenge concerns energy costs, which continue to put pressure on companies: more than eight out of ten businesses expect energy costs to rise, although for 57% these increases will have a manageable impact and will not jeopardize business sustainability. The energy challenge is thus becoming a new growth opportunity. Indeed, 42% of companies plan investments in renewable energy or energy efficiency, turning cost pressure into an opportunity to accelerate the shift toward more sustainable, efficient production models that are less exposed to energy volatility.
A similar dynamic is affecting supply chains. Procurement difficulties remain widespread, but for seven out of ten companies they have had a moderate or minimal impact on production. To strengthen supply-chain resilience, companies are diversifying suppliers, entering into long-term agreements, increasing inventories and identifying alternative materials: measures that help build more flexible supply chains better prepared to face new shocks.
“Global transformations are opening up new opportunities for Italian manufacturing: entrepreneurs are cautious today, but ready to invest in the future,” comments Maruska Sabato, Project Manager of MECSPE. “The Observatory data show companies that are aware of the challenges ahead, but determined to strengthen their competitiveness through investment, innovation and openness to new markets. Digital transformation, energy efficiency and the resilience of supply chains are no longer merely development goals, but true strategic levers for facing the future.
As MECSPE, our goal is to continue supporting companies on this journey, creating opportunities for discussion and connection between demand for and supply of innovation.”
Appointment at MECSPE Bologna 2027
From 3rd to 5th March 2027 BolognaFiere will host the new edition of MECSPE, a strategic meeting point for the Italian and European manufacturing supply chain. The event will offer companies the opportunity to network, discover new market trends, preview the latest industry innovations, including technologies and solutions to improve production efficiency, digitalize processes and address challenges related to energy, materials and the reorganization of supply chains.
For more information: www.mecspe.com/en
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.
MECSPE BOLOGNA 2026 figures
60,581 professional visitors, 92,000 sqm of exhibition space, over 2,000 companies present, 13 exhibition halls, 18 special initiatives, 157 conferences.
MECSPE Exhibition Halls
Machines 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; Automation and 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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