PRESS RELEASE
Assomac, Mauro Bergozza new President
- Mauro Bergozza, CEO of Bergi S.p.A. and leading figure in the industry, is the new president of Assomac: he will lead the association after a long business and association experience, succeeding Maria Vittoria Brustia.
- "Innovation, sustainability and technological identity are the keys to strengthening Made in Italy and competing globally’: the priorities outlined by new president Bergozza for the future of the industry.
- In 2024, the tannery, footwear and leather goods machinery sector recorded a 6.7% drop in exports, despite the 1.53% growth achieved in 2023, with emerging markets such as Vietnam and Brazil helping to offset the drop in Europe.
- “A sector that represents true Made in Italy excellence, but to be competitive on global markets it must have an obsession with investments”, Marco Nocivelli Vice President of Confindustria.
Vigevano, 29th November 2024
Assomac, the Confindustria association representing Italian manufacturers of tanning, footwear and leather goods machinery, looks to the future with a new president. Mauro Bergozza, Assomac's current vice-president and CEO of Bergi S.p.A., has been elected president, succeeding Maria Vittoria Brustia, who led the association in recent years. Cristiano Paccagnella, General Manager of Omac S.r.l., was confirmed as Vice-President, while Massimo Angeleri, CEO of Officina Meccanica Angeleri S.r.l., was appointed as new Vice-President. Appointments officially ratified on Friday 29 November, during the General Assembly meeting held at Mudec - Museo delle Culture in Milan.
Born in Arzignano (VI) in 1962, Mauro Bergozza is the second generation at the helm of Bergi S.p.A., a family business specialising in the production of tannery machinery. Bergozza is mainly involved in commercial and financial management, leading with his brothers a reality that combines tradition and innovation. Active in Assomac since 1996, he has held various roles up to the vice-presidency of the association.
“We are going through a period of great challenges for the manufacturing sector, in which networking and creating a strong representation are essential necessities” said Mauro Bergozza, expressing his thanks for the assignment. “It is essential to strengthen the technological identity of our sector, investing in research, innovation and sustainability. Only in this way will we be able to fully valorise Made in Italy and successfully face international competition. We will work to develop common standards that promote the quality and safety of our technologies, while continuing to build strategic alliances, both at national and European level. Our goal is a future in which our member companies can distinguish themselves for excellence and ability to transition to more advanced production models”.
A resilient sector
The General Assembly was also an opportunity to present the performance of the sector, which has 235 companies and about 3,900 employees. A sector that in 2023 recorded a turnover of about Euro 650 million, with a 36% share of the sector's world exports. Italian leadership is particularly strong in exports of tannery machinery (54%) and leather goods (51%), while footwear machinery holds a 17% share.
Total exports in 2023 grew by 1.53%, which is still lower than in previous years, reflecting global economic difficulties, geopolitical crises and increased trade barriers. Among the reference markets in 2023, France (+21% compared to 2022), Spain (+57%), the United States (+36%) and Turkey (+60%) stood out, while China recorded a significant drop (-39%).
Despite the positive end to 2023, worrying signs came from the first eight months of 2024, in which the sector saw a 6.7% contraction in total exports compared to the previous year. This contraction was contained thanks to some markets that recorded a significant increase in imports from Italy, including China (+22% compared to the same period in 2023), Vietnam (+163%) and Brazil (+32%).
In a complex global panorama, where economic and geopolitical challenges continue to affect the manufacturing sector, the Italian tannery, footwear and leather goods machinery sector is showing signs of resilience. “This is a sector that represents a true excellence of our Made in Italy, and the numbers prove it,’ said Marco Nocivelli, Confindustria Vice President for Industrial Policies and Made in Italy, ’but to be truly competitive on global markets we must have an obsession with investments that suffer from structural delays, especially in the implementation of such an important plan as Industria 5.0. which provides 6.3 billion. It is not just about adopting new technologies but integrating innovation with a more human and sustainable vision of industrial production. Businesses must not only be efficient, but also attentive to workers' welfare and environmental impact. We firmly believe that this integration of technology, people and sustainability can be a unique competitive advantage for Italy”.
In this changing environment, companies in the sector have shown a remarkable ability to adapt, aided by the support that the association has promoted, including through international trade fairs such as Simac Tanning Tech.
The value of dialogue: a round table on the sector's prospects
After a focus on the sector's trend and institutional greetings by Marco Nocivelli, Vice President for Industrial Policies and Made in Italy of Confindustria, and Maurizio Forte, Central Director for Export Sectors of Agenzia ICE, the Assembly got to the heart of the matter with an inspirational speech on future innovation scenarios by Cosimo Accoto, Research Affiliate & Fellow MIT - Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Key issues, investigated even more thoroughly in the subsequent round table discussion moderated by Stefania Cavallaro, Editor-in-Chief and TG4 presenter, which saw the participation of Agostino Apolito, General Director of Assomac, Bruno Conterno, CEO of Nice Footwear, Michele Pedretti, Market Development and Channel Manager ABB and Elena Antiga, Senior Professional - Global Fashion Unit TEHA The European House - Ambrosetti.
A debate in which the pros and cons of the current scenario were analysed, characterised by shrinking markets, but also by the distinctive excellence of Made in Italy, made up of know-how, quality and skills. There was also an analysis of future scenarios and possible solutions to the challenges of the sector. As emerged from the discussion, “You can’t save yourself alone”: networking and offering support to companies are the way forward to build a competitive and sustainable tomorrow.