AssoAscensori Components Committee: An Initiative to Support the Italian Industry

by AssoAscensori

The ANIE (Italian Federation of electrotechnical and electronic companies) Economic Department estimates a total turnover of approximately EUR2.5 billion (US$3.3 billion) at the end of 2012 for the Italian industry of lifts and escalators. In this economic context, only exporting remains the driving force for growth (up 4.9% in 2012).

Although more than half of Italy’s total foreign lift, escalator and component sales still go to Europe, a growing contribution to the solidity of the Italian industry is made by exports to the most dynamic markets outside of the European Union, where infrastructural investments are high. That is an important result: it shows how the international markets recognize the added value of Italy’s technologies.

The 2013 forecast remains stable due to the lack of recovery of investments in construction in the domestic market, where almost all components show signs of weakness. The demand of modernization is even lower than that expected when considering the economic crisis and the lack of a national legislation to make existing lifts safer (as requested by European Recommendation 95/216/EC).

Despite the aforementioned difficulties, the Italian industry is still the world’s second-highest exporter of lift technologies, after China. Italy still shows its superiority, especially in the segment of components for lifts and escalators, holding the record for the world’s leading exporter with a share of almost 15% of total global sales.

In the current economic context, where component manufacturers could have a negative impact on the whole lift and escalator industry, a new Components Committee has been strongly endorsed by the AssoAscensori (Italian Lift and Escalator Association) board to strengthen its relationship with industry component manufacturers. The committee is to identify the needs and potential of the sector, and support its growth. Even representing only a minor share of the upstream supply chain, AssoAscensori intends to be enterprising in supporting the manufacturers of components for lifts and escalators. It draws on the expertise of the new committee’s chairman, Roberto Zappa of Sematic Group.

To meet the needs and expectations expressed by companies operating in the sector, the AssoAscensori Components Committee’s mandate is to:

• Monitor the development of legislation and standardization at both the Italian and international level in order to highlight any issues with a direct impact on components and, where necessary, intervene directly in appropriate offices
• Monitor key indicators at both the national and international level to detect the trend and cyclical dynamics of the industry component industry, and show that tendency and potential
• Create tables, together with manufacturers/installers of complete lifts and escalators, and develop strategies of common interest To carry out its mission, the committee will gather as many component producers as possible, give a voice to their needs and promote initiatives to support the lift and escalator industry.