Lamberti: “We’re living in a period that requires new approaches”

Paolo Lamberti, president of Acimac, how would you describe the current economic situation? 
2023 came to a better end than was forecast, with a 1% rise in turnover that set a new record of €2.37 billion, with figures holding steady in Italy, falling in Europe and on the rise in South America, Indonesia and Thailand. If we look at the various segments, the ceramics sector remains active, despite a slight drop, while we can see a rise in the brick and ceramic sanitaryware sectors, which had been stagnating for some time. If we look at turnover per machinery type, performance was very positive right across end of line and warehousing, while the earlier stages witnessed a halt, with the sole exception of the ‘preparation of raw materials’ segment, where the slab technologies make it possible to contain costs. 
The first six months of 2024 recorded a slowdown – also evident in other sectors of Italian industry – but not a collapse in turnover. In the coming years, I expect to see our strength confirmed in those areas where we’re already making a difference, such as technology, with the development of ceramic surfaces on kitchen worktops, pressing techniques suitable also for non-clay materials, and above all efficient energy management, also by seeking alternative sources of energy. 

Is this slowdown likely to be followed by a change in the approach to doing business?
In recent years, Italian ceramic technology manufacturers have presented some incredible innovations: I’m thinking of slabs and the new moulding process, digitalisation of the process and work on the complex structure of the surface of the materials. We’re looking at profound change, which is possible only in an area like this, where innovation is derived from the on-going interaction and engagement between small companies and large plant engineers able to offer new system solutions to the end customer. We’re living in a period that requires investment in innovative, visionary projects. 

What remains to be done for ‘industry 5.0’?
Today, the software that controls the entire production cycle allows us to operate on a higher level. Plant engineers are working constantly in this direction, as is evident from the low consumption levels of the kilns, or the percentage of energy and waste recovered, without neglecting the end of line stage, where there have been advances in the efficiency of logistics processes. There has been a huge step forward, and process innovation, clearly set out, must be aided by properly trained staff, and this, unfortunately, remains one of the issues it is most important to tackle and resolve. 

What is your view on incentives for investment? 
All the Confindustriali associations believe that the system of incentives for investment is too short-lived: the 16 months to go until the end of 2025, the period covered by the 5.0 incentives, corresponds, in some cases, to the time required for machinery to be delivered. We need laws applicable for at least five years, to allow our customers to properly plan investments and the necessary financial cover. Very often, investing means operating in circumstances that have changed, finding new markets or new ways of handling the same product; these are things that require time. 

What can you tell us about international competition from manufacturers of ceramic technology and plants? 
The current situation is a duel, but with an unfair advantage on one side. Chinese competitors, who have iron and steel available to them at a lower cost, and more importantly, have the support of the economic policy adopted by a Chinese government desperately seeking new markets, also exports machinery or machinery parts to Europe. These products are of lower quality, less safe for users and do not offer the same guarantee of reliability and duration as products that are actually made in Italy. We’re also talking about plant manufacturers that in recent years have developed their own industrial divisions that produce ceramic tiles, perhaps opening factories in Saudi Arabia or in Sub-Saharan Africa, thus becoming both suppliers and competitors of their customers. This is a dangerous approach, because those purchasing these machines are transferring knowledge and expertise that we should be safeguarding much more effectively. The task of the Acimac companies is to continue to develop high-level technologies, continually identifying highly efficient solutions and containing production costs. 

What was new at Tecna? 
The 12 Halls (totalling 67,000 square metres) hosted 330 exhibitors, 44% of them from abroad, and 200 top guests invited from all over the world, representing an opening towards other countries that produce technologies, called upon to engage with the technology of our Italian manufacturing district, henceforth branded under the name We are ACIMAC. This brand name will identify all the types of machinery produced exclusively in Italy and with specific characteristics in terms of efficiency and safety, particular to Italian products. The aim of this move is to highlight the value of an area which, in just a few square kilometres, boasts a concentration of innovation and services unrivalled elsewhere in the world. 

What are the salient features of your second term at the helm of Acimac?
An increasingly important issue regards the energy required for our district. This is something that has a direct impact on us, because it characterises our technological research, the solution to which will take years rather than months, and for which we intend to develop a study on the production and use of nuclear energy for the ceramics industry. Considering the laws currently in existence in Italy, this will remain an exercise for the moment, although I believe it will help lay the foundations for a future geared towards diversified energy sources. Another of the cornerstones for the coming years is the professional training of young people out of high school, with the ITS Maker project, which attracted large numbers of students during the last academic year, and which we’re also getting ready to run this year. 
A further objective of great importance, already pursued during my first term, is to boost collaboration between Confindustria Ceramica and ACIMAC, learning to work in synergy to identify solutions to potentially dangerous “pitch invasions”. If we’re aware and responsible, share the same goals and prove able to work as a system – as we’ve already shown – we will be stronger and able to achieve better results.