Ucima goes to Chicago to promote Italian technological excellence

Pack Expo International, a leading international event in the field of processing and packaging to be held in Chicago from 6 to 9 November is the next promotional stop for Ucima (Italian Packaging Machinery Manufacturers Association).  

Thanks to the support of the Italian Trade Agency ICE-Agenzia, the Association will be present at the show with three representation stands and a joint stand housing 10 Italian firms alongside the approximately seventy companies that are taking part independently. As well as providing support to Italian exhibitor companies, Ucima will hand out promotional materials and provide detailed information on the exhibition Ipack Ima, the key Italian show for North American customers.

Ucima and ICE-Agenzia have also organised a networking evening called Italian Evening @ Pack Expo for Italian and US companies, North American customers and the trade press.

The event, due to be held on 7 November from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm at Eataly, will also host the presentation of an exclusive study conducted by Euromonitor International on behalf of Ucima and ICE-Agenzia entitled Perceptions & Opportunity: packaging & packaging machinery in the US. The study was conducted by cross-referencing market data and interviews with around 250 American end users and analyses the present and future of client sectors, types of packaging and technologies, the purchasing propensities and perceptions of US companies regarding their technological needs.

The study aims to offer Italian companies objective analysis tools for greater penetration of the US market, where from now to 2020 the food sector is expected to grow by 4.2% (+ US $185 billion), the beverage sector by 3.4%(+$21 billion), and personal care and pharmaceuticals by 18% and 30% respectively.

In view of this estimated growth, local manufacturers are considering new technological investments in the near future. 67% of interviewees intend to purchase new machinery in the next two years, particularly considering that most installed machinery is more than 7 years old.

This opens up excellent opportunities for Italian machinery manufacturers, whose technology is especially popular amongst North American customers due to its high degree of customisation and innovative characteristics in terms of automation, sustainability, predictive maintenance and robotics.