International Presence - UCIMU-SISTEMI PER PRODURRE

Riccardo Rosa, President, UCIMU-SISTEMI PER PRODURRE and UCIMU Foundation, is a seasoned leader in the metalworking and machine tool industry. With over two decades of involvement on the UCIMU board, including serving as Vice President from 2020 to 2024, he brings extensive experience and strategic vision to the organization. He views IMTEX 2025 & Tooltech 2025 as a crucial platform to promote Italian manufacturing and connect with the global audience.

As President of ROSA ERMANDO Spa, a globally recognized grinding machine manufacturer, and a member of a family with over a century of legacy in metalworking, Rosa’s contributions to the sector are significant. Under his leadership, UCIMU-SISTEMI PER PRODURRE aims to enhance support for Italian manufacturing enterprises through economic research, cultural initiatives, and industry development programs.

Rosa’s influence extends beyond Italy as a representative of UCIMU in FEDERMACCHINE, Vice-President of the federation, and a key figure in CECIMO, the European Association of Manufacturing Technologies, where he leads the Technical Group. His appointment underscores UCIMU’s commitment to fostering innovation and promoting the excellence of Italian manufacturing on a global stage.

IMTEX 2025’s Relevance to UCIMU
India is one of the most interesting export areas for the products offered by the Italian machine tool manufacturing industry, represented by UCIMU-SISTEMI PER PRODURRE. According to the latest surveys processed by Italy’s Economic Studies Department & Business Culture Centre, regarding the first eight months of 2024, India is the fourth largest destination area for the ‘Made in Italy’ of the sector. In the period January-August 2024, sales of ‘Made in Italy’ to India doubled (compared to the same period last year), reaching a value of € 132 million.

“In this framework, IMTEX plays a very important role for our enterprises, for which this exhibition is the first and primary marketing tool, especially in distant areas and countries. At a trade show as lively and vibrant as IMTEX, companies have a chance to meet customers and potential partners for collaborations and activities of common interest,” states Rosa.

UCIMU has started some initiatives specifically dedicated to supporting the promotion of Italian offerings in India and the internationalization of its member companies. The PIATTAFORMA INDIA project is to provide assistance and advice to Italian companies interested in operating in the area. Therefore, ‘Piattaforma India’ is assisted by an Indian official, who acts as a facilitator directly on site.

In addition, the ITC-Italian Technology Center promotes the ‘Made in Italy’ sector. Based in Pune for 12 years, the center has been promoting the ITC mark and brands of about ten Italian manufacturers of capital goods.

At IMTEX 2025, the Italian Exhibitors’ Collective, organized in cooperation with the ICE-Italian Trade Agency, consists of 12 companies, has booked the entire space made available by the organizers for the delegation from Italy.

India-Italy Machine Tools Trade

Highlighting the dynamics of trade between Italy and India in the machine tool sector during 2023-2024, Rosa shares, “In the last two years, we have registered an interesting increase in the Italian exports from the sector to India. Indeed, in 2023, deliveries of Italian machine tools grew by 77 percent versus 2022, attaining a value of € 117 million. As we said, in the first eight months of 2024, the growth was even more intense: with a 100 percent rise over the same period of the previous year, sales already achieved € 132 million.”

An opposite trend is highlighted in imports to Italy concerning production technology made in India due to the slowdown in demand from Italian users.  The purchases of Indian machine tools decreased from € 5.4 million in 2022 to about € 5 million in 2023. In the first eight months of 2024, the decrease was 30 percent, accounting for € 2.3 million.

Latest Trends in Metal Cutting Technology
According to Rosa, the metal cutting industry is advancing with a strong focus on precision, efficiency, and sustainability. Cutting-edge materials like polycrystalline diamond (PCD) and cubic boron nitride (CBN) enable tools to machine hard-to-cut materials, such as titanium and superalloys, offering durability and resistance under extreme conditions.

“Hybrid systems are reshaping workflows by combining techniques like milling and turning or milling and additive technologies within a single machine. This innovation reduces setup time and boosts productivity,” he adds.

Cryogenic machining, which cools cutting zones by using liquid nitrogen, is emerging as a solution for thermally sensitive materials in industries, such as aerospace.

“The focus is also shifting toward environmentally friendly cutting techniques, such as dry machining, which eliminates the use of coolant oils. This reduces environmental impact and operational costs. Moreover, metal cutting machines are now designed with energy-efficient spindles and optimized cooling systems. These features reduce power consumption during high-demand operations, aligning with global sustainability goals,” he adds further.

Sharing his views on how smart manufacturing can transform the future of manufacturing in terms of the adoption of digitization, automation, and robotics, Rosa notes, “Metal forming machines have fully integrated digital technologies and achieved very high precision standards, which have dramatically reduced the need for finishing processes. Moreover, they are characterized by a high level of environmental sustainability, which makes them particularly suitable for the green transition. This transformation is closely related to the smart and green evolution of manufacturing.”

“At a trade show as lively and vibrant as IMTEX, companies have a chance to meet customers and potential partners for collaborations and activities of common interest.”

Riccardo Rosa
President
UCIMU-SISTEMI PER PRODURRE and UCIMU Foundation

Image Source: UCIMU

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