Excellence of the Italian furniture districts showcased at SICAM

The Italian furniture sector is heavily concentrated in particular districts and 226 of the industry’s largest companies account for 84.8% of the total turnover. With around 16,000 companies, the national furniture industry employs over 125,000 people (3.4% of the total manufacturing workforce). After bouncing back strongly in 2021, turnover in the Italian wood-furniture sector continued to grow well in 2022. Most companies are based in the North East of Italy, where SICAM is held every year. Production is driven by foreign markets, particularly the United States, France, the United Kingdom and Germany, but also by good performance in the United Arab Emirates and Canada.

The success achieved in these markets is primarily due to the high quality of the products and the industry’s specialisation in the high-end sector, which is globally recognised and valued. In this specific segment, Italian companies have succeeded in penetrating some rapidly developing markets ahead of their competitors, leading a segment of the global market which in 2022 exceeded €50 billion, with forecasts for further growth in the medium to long term. Looking ahead, new opportunities for Italian producers will arise in this respect from the greater purchasing power and demand for high-quality sustainable products developing in emerging markets and among the younger generations, which is the reason behind SICAM’s decision to promote the Show internationally, targeting these markets in particular.

According to the findings published by the Intesa San Paolo District Monitor, the Triveneto area was confirmed in 2022 as one of the most significant in the country in terms of exports (27.5% of the national total), although overall growth during the year was slightly lower than the national figure (+14.2% on 2021). In 2022, the Veneto districts exceeded €33.5 billion in exports, an increase of €4.2 billion compared to 2021 (+14.2%) in line with the national district average. The districts of Friuli-Venezia Giulia exported goods to the value of €3.2 billion (+17.9% compared to 2021), corresponding to an increase at current prices of 491 million euros, much of which was achieved in the furniture and panels district of Pordenone, which grew by 24.5% in 2022.

Forecasts for 2023 are for Italian exports to continue growing at an expected rate of 2.4% at constant prices in the manufacturing sector, despite global demand still showing signs of slowing down. If confirmed, this result would reflect the action taken by most Italian companies to strengthen their competitiveness over the last ten years, which would allow foreign sales of Italian manufactured goods to exceed the threshold of 50% of total turnover for the first time.