In regards to the status quo of the textile industry， specifically the textile machinery industry in Italy， Mr. Alessandro ZUCCHI， President of Association of Italian Textile Machinery Manufacturers （ACIMIT）， introduced that “2018 proved to be a bit of a setback for Italys textile machinery industry， with a general 1% drop in production， and a 2% decline in exports. In any case， this can be attributed to a physiological decline due to economic and political uncertainties in different geographical areas， and over the first three months of 2019 we actually recorded a similar trend to last year. Textile producers are waiting to assess the technology innovations that will be on show at ITMA Barcelona in order to be able to plan their future investments.”

Italy will have roughly 360 exhibitors on hand， occupying an overall surface area of about 30，000 square meters. Once again， the Italian contingent will be largest at the show， as was the case at other editions of ITMA. New technology proposals will focus above all on solutions designed to support client manufacturers in digital transformation and production sustainability processes.

While talking about the development trends in the textile machinery industry， Mr. Alessandro ZUCCHI sated that “The textile and garments sector in currently undergoing a period of profound changes， as weve gone from mass production to mass customization， with products created based on the needs of individual consumers， who are increasingly aware of the sustainability of the items they choose to wear. The challenge for textile machinery manufacturers is to come up with solutions capable of supporting these megatrends.”

Mr. Alessandro ZUCCHI also advised Chinese visitors that they should pay special attention to what textile machinery producers are proposing. In todays manufacturing world， competition is being played out in terms of reduced production costs， as well as sustainable manufacturing processes， including social， economic and environmental factors. Chinese visitors at ITMA must seek out solutions that can offer these guarantees. Theres no doubt that Italian exhibitors are in the front line in providing sustainability， with their major commitment to the Sustainable Technologies project promoted by ACIMIT since 2011.

For the exhibition， Association of Italian Textile Machinery Manufacturers has made various preparations. “ITMAs four-year frequency ensures that each successive edition is rich in technological innovations. ITMA is the most important trade fair for the industry precisely because of its highly innovative technology content. Our association supports its associated members both in the phase running up to the fair and on-site. In addition to standing side by side with its member companies at an organizational and promotional level at the event， ACIMIT will be presenting at its press conference during the show the winners of the ACIMIT Green Label Awards， i.e. those Italian manufacturers， supplier of Sustainable Technologies who have reduced the Carbon Footprint of their machinery the most in recent years.”

At the end of the interview， Mr. Alessandro ZUCCHI told the reporters that “ITMA 2015， held in Milan， was a highly successful edition. All of the exhibitors at the show benefited from a positive economic trend and earnest demand for machinery. I believe this edition can be equally as positive in terms of the number and quality of visitors attending.”