Italy leads the world in the design and manufacture of machines for making tiles and ceramics. Some of the most important innovations in this sector, such as the introduction of tunnel-ovens or the development of machinery for producing tiles with a single firing, were genuine Italian inventions. This industry is also markedly export-driven: it is estimated that more than 70% of its 2008 turnover, predicted to be 1,700 million Euros, will have come from overseas sales. The forthcoming Revestir Fair, taking place in Brazil from March 24th-27th 2009, will give commercial operators in Latin America and beyond the chance to sample excellent Italian products at first hand.

One of the keys to the success of this Italian sector is the fact that the manufacturing technology it uses is constantly being updated. The companies involved are continually working on innovation in both processes and products. Their aim is to offer the world ceramics market technological solutions which are ever more advanced in terms of efficiency, automation and energy consumption. The Italian-made machinery not only ranks highly in terms of technical performance, but also provides added value from the aesthetic point of view. Thus, it has come to be regarded as the foremost provider for the ceramic sector.

The Brazilian Revestir Fair, initiated to help promote a global strategy for local industries, provides an ideal opportunity for breaking into a potentially limitless market. At the 2008 event, 54% of visitors came from South America, 8% from Central America and 10% from North America. The fair can therefore be seen as a reference point for the entire continent. Italian manufacturers have participated in Revestir since it was first staged and have built up and consolidated business relationships and technological partnerships over the years. Indeed, one could say that it is thanks to their use of Italian technology that local companies have grown and flourished, both within and outside Brazil.

Italy will be represented at Revistir 2009 with a joint participation organized by the Italian Trade Commission in collaboration with Acimac (the Italian Association for the Makers of Ceramic Machines and Equipment). There are plans to have an official Italian pavilion at the fair, which is sited at the Transàmerica Expo Centre in San Paolo. At the last event, 163 exhibitors were present, representing Brazil, the United States, China, Spain and Italy. There were 39,021 visitors, from 65 different countries, and the show registered a turnover of more than 131 million dollars (up 9.17% on the previous year). It is predicted that 47 thousand visitors will attend the 2009 event and the turnover is expected to be more than 145 million dollars.

According to the figures for 2007 (the latest available), exports by Italian companies of ceramic-making machinery and equipment to Central and South America amounted to 142.8 million Euros. This sum was equivalent to 10.3% of the sector’s total exports, and represented an increase of 9.3% on the previous year. Export earnings in Latin America have been continually growing since 2002; with the exception of 2006, when revenue dropped by 4.6 million. However, in 2007 the increase in earnings reached double figures: up 23.5%. Therefore, this extensive geographical region offers interesting opportunities to an industry well known for its capacity for creating highly personalized solutions, and which is increasingly seeking to internationalize. Indeed, by 2007, the number of foreign companies controlled by Italian groups had grown to 56.