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When the label says "Made in Italy" it means elegant apparel and sophisticated design - but that's not all. From Italian cuisine to the most advanced technological solutions in machinery and robotics, there are many fields in which Italy has gone to the head of the class. Its economy is sustained and characterized by the work and initiatives of large enterprises as well as by a vast network of small and medium sized enterprises.
Food and agriculture, machinery, textiles and apparel are the fields that have had the most significant impact in terms of turnover, employment and number of firms. The agri-alimentary industry (agriculture, industy, distribution and services), is worth approximately 180 billion euro of gross saleable production while agricultural production alone generates approximately 408 billion.
Wine-producing is the strong point of the Italian agri-alimentary sector, with Germany, the USA, England and Canada topping the list of Italian wine importers, representing a turnover of approximately 8.5 billion euro.
The transport sector has strategic importance in terms of exports. Italy occupies fifth place in the production of automobiles and parts, following the USA, Japan, France and Germany. It is a world leader in the production of pleasure-boats, 80% of which are destined for foreign markets. Finally, Italy is first in Europe in the production of motorcycles, with exports accounting for 50% of sales. An important contribution to the positive image of Italian industry is owing to our illustrious designers, famous throughout Europe and the world.
Italian industrial design embraces various sectors. Furniture and furnishings make up the main sector (in which Italy is the world leader). With over 35,000 companies and approximately 230,000 operatives, Italy is the second largest producer of furniture in the world after the United States and the absolute leader in exports. A good 45% of total production is exported (8 billion euro) and Italy's furniture exporting activities account for 17% of the world market.
Other divisions in which Italy plays a leading role are lighting design, boat and car design, where signatures like Pininfarina and Giugiaro have brought fame to many FIAT and foreign model cars, not to mention the Eurostar and Pendolino trains.
At the upper end of machinery production are tools for the textile, metallurgic, chemical, appliances and food processing industries. As far as food processing is concerned there are coffee machines, machines for producing pasta, bread, pastries and preserves just to name a few. The production of machinery used in building engines also stands out, as well as for heating system valves and plumbing taps, for which Italy is second only to Germany. Companies that manufacture machines for metal working are also important, a sector in which Italy occupies third place worldwide.
The strong point of the machinery industry, which represents approximately 40% of the manufacturing industry, is the presence of numerous small and medium sized companies throughout the national territory. Turnover in 2004 amounted to approximately over 34 billion euro. Another important statistic to point out has to do with exports, which amounted to 52.2 billion euro with a sector trade surplus of almost 33 billion euro.
The "fashion system" is made up of all those sectors that produce goods designed for “dressing people”. Thus in addition to producers of textiles and clothes, other types of businesses associated with the production of accessories are involved, such as manufacturers of leather goods (accessories and footwear), eyewear, jewelry and cosmetics. The system represents over 6% of Italy's entire GDP and 18% of exports.
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