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Beginning on the afternoon of 24 September with the inaugural conference devoted to world markets, the programme of events will include the TecnAwards and seminars for industry professionals

Rimini, 16 September 2024 - This year´s edition of Tecna, organised by Italian Exhibition Group in cooperation with Acimac, will once again feature a packed programme of events spanning all four days of the show (24-27 September, Rimini Expo Centre). These will include conferences, roundtable discussions, speeches, workshops, award ceremonies, technical seminars, thematic trails and networking events, many of which will be organised in cooperation with key partners. While exhibitors showcase the industry´s latest new products and developments in their booths, the programme of events will complete the picture by offering a comprehensive overview of the entire machinery sector. It will also provide valuable opportunities to reflect on the future of the ceramic and capital goods industries and Italian manufacturing as a whole.

As always, the programme will begin with the inaugural conference, which is eagerly anticipated this year due to the topical nature of its theme and the calibre of the guest speakers. The event, which will be held on Tuesday 24 September at 2.30 p.m. in the Innovation Arena, is entitled ´World Markets. Wars, energy and the digital revolution: the challenges for manufacturing´ and will provide a comprehensive overview of the current challenges facing the manufacturing sector. The speakers . Paolo Magri, Managing Director and Chair Advisory Board of ISPI and a renowned expert on international politics, Marco Taisch, Professor at the Milan Polytechnic and Chairman of Made, one of Europe´s leading experts on servitization, and Vincenzo Colla, Emilia Romagna Regional Councillor for Economic Development and Green Economy, Employment, Education and International Relations . will discuss the ways in which geopolitics affects today´s corporate strategies and choices, especially in a country with such a strongly export-oriented manufacturing industry as Italy. The conference will be moderated by Gigi Riva, a journalist and foreign policy expert, and introduced by IEG - Italian Exhibition Group Chairman Maurizio Renzo Ermeti, Acimac Chairman Paolo Lamberti and Rimini Mayor Jamil Sadegholvaad.

This will be followed at 5.00 p.m. by the presentation event for Acimac´s new international promotional brand We Are Acimac, which aims to promote awareness of Italian excellence in the production of ceramic machinery and equipment. Tecna is the first stop on the We Are Acimac world tour. The event emphasises the importance of collaboration and collective identity in promoting national industry on a global scale.

The programme for 25 September will begin with an eagerly anticipated seminar discussing the Transition 5.0 Plan, a highly topical issue for the machinery manufacturing sector. Acimac experts will explain the key concepts behind the new Plan, including technical aspects, certifications and support for companies interested in obtaining tax credits (10.30 a.m. in the Innovation Arena). Award presentations focusing on both the past and the future will be held in the afternoon, starting at 4.15 p.m. Firstly, the award named in memory of IEG´s former Chairman Lorenzo Cagnoni will be presented to the most innovative start-ups present in the Innovation District at the show. This will be followed by the second edition of the TecnAwards, which returns following the success of 2022. The awards recognise technological investments made by international customers in the period 2022-2024 and underscore the show´s role in bringing together suppliers and ceramic manufacturers. The event is organised by Acimac in cooperation with the magazine Ceramic World Review.

On Thursday 26 September at 10.15 a.m., the show will host the Raw Materials Day organised in collaboration with the Italian Ceramic Society and devoted to sustainable resource management and new procurement strategies. This will be followed at 12.30 p.m. by the Acimac seminar on cybersecurity of machines, new obligations and market surveillance. At 2.30 p.m., the topic of territorial innovation will be discussed at an event entitled ´Emilia-Romagna Territorial Innovation Ecosystem´. The Interdepartmental Centre for Industrial Research, Advanced Mechanics and Materials of the University of Bologna and the Rimini Technopole will present ceramic industry case studies linked to Italy´s National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP), demonstrating how research and industry can work together to drive the sector forward.
At 4.00 p.m., the SBS - Scuola Beni Strumentali and Acimac will present ´The evolution of after-sales services in the machinery sector´. Asap and Digital Industries World will offer valuable insights into the ways in which companies can improve their service offerings, starting with the ´Digital Servitization in the Machinery Sector´ Observatory which was completed this year with the collaboration of numerous companies in the sector.

The final day of Tecna will as usual be dedicated to education, with visits by students from a number of technical institutes across the region and an event entitled ´Green Jobs & Skills´, which will look at the future of employment in the sector and explore the new skills required within an increasingly sustainability-focused industry.

Alongside the programme of events, the four days of Tecna will feature theme sections including the Innovation District, Finishing and Decortech. The Innovation District is a theme section designed to showcase the latest innovations and ideas in the field of Industry 4.0 and this year will focus on start-ups and scale-ups, promoting synergy between companies. A total of 18 start-ups and scale-ups, including 2 non-Italian companies, will showcase their innovations in key industry areas such as Industry 4.0, software and energy efficiency.
The two-day Decortech section will host various brands specialising in aesthetic research and digital decoration technologies in the Decortech Arena. Each company will present their experience and expertise in striving to achieve the highest possible aesthetic quality for surfaces, an added value that enhances the product´s competitiveness.

In short, Tecna 2024 will reaffirm its role not just as a showcase for the latest technologies but as a major forum for ideas and innovations. It will provide a unique opportunity for professionals, business leaders and researchers to connect, explore market macro-trends and contribute to the future of the surfaces industry. With its packed programme of events, Tecna 2024 promises to be a catalyst for progress and innovation, driving the industry towards a more sustainable, digital and competitive future.
The complete programme can be found on the official website https://www.tecnaexpo.com/



This press release contains forecasts and estimates that reflect the management´s current opinion, particularly with regard to future operating performance, investments, cash flow trends and the evolution of the financial structure. By their nature, forward-looking statements of this kind contain an element of risk and uncertainty because they depend on future events. The actual results may differ significantly from those announced in relation to a number of factors, including, but not limited to: trends in the out-of-home catering market and tourist flows in Italy; trends in the jewellery market; trends in the green economy market; trends in raw materials prices; general macroeconomic conditions; geopolitical factors and changes in the regulatory framework.

FOCUS ON ITALIAN EXHIBITION GROUP
Italian Exhibition Group S.p.A., a joint stock company listed on Euronext Milan, a regulated market organised and managed by Borsa Italiana S.p.A., has, with its facilities in Rimini and Vicenza, achieved national leadership over the years in the organisation of trade shows and conferences. The development of activities abroad - also through joint-ventures with global or local organisers, in the United States, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, China, Mexico, Germany, Singapore, Brazil, for example . now sees the company positioned among the top European operators in the sector.

FOCUS ON ACIMAC
ACIMAC is the association of Italian manufacturers of plant, machinery, equipment and semi-finished products and suppliers of raw materials and services for the ceramic (tile, sanitaryware and tableware), heavy clay and refractory materials industries.
ACIMAC represents the majority of Italian companies in the sector, from small to medium sized businesses through to the largest firms. ACIMAC is affiliated to the Italian employers´ federation Confindustria, making it an integral part of Italian industry´s system of representation.
The sector is the world´s largest system of suppliers to the ceramic industry with a constantly growing export share that today stands at more than two thirds of total turnover thanks to the level of excellence and production of the most competitive plants in the world. Consisting of more than 100 companies with 7,325 employees, in 2023 the industry generated a turnover of 2.35 billion euros with exports accounting for 72% of total volumes.