Weak foreign demand has prevented growth for the Italian machine tool industry in 2025. Orders for the sector have been stagnating for two years, according to the Italian association for machine tools, robotics and automation Ucimu – Sistemi per Produrre.
In the fourth quarter of 2025, the order index for machine tools recorded a year-on-year decline of 13.6%. The index value has leveled off at 68 (base 100 in 2021). Orders on the domestic market fell by 2.9% compared to the fourth quarter of 2024, with an index value of 56.3. Orders received abroad fell sharply by 17.1% compared to the same period of the previous year. The index stands at 69.3. On an annual basis, the domestic order index remains positive thanks to growth in the first three quarters (+3.1%) with an index of 67.6. The increase in domestic orders of 38.9% (absolute value 55.1) was offset by a decline in foreign orders of 9.4%, with an index value of 76.4.
Riccardo Rosa, President of Ucimu, said: “The overall result for incoming orders in 2025 is at the level of the last two years and is therefore once again disappointing.”
Web:
www.ucimu.it
