Association of Italian Textile Machinery Manufacturers (ACIMIT) is promoting the Italian textile machinery sector and in supporting its activity, mainly abroad, through the most updated and innovative promotional means, constantly improved during its 75 years of life.
To promote the Italian textile machinery knowledge throughout the world, ACIMIT gives any kind of information on the activity of the producers and organizes a wide range of promotional activities (such as exhibitions, technical seminars, missions in Italy and abroad, etc.) most of the time in collaboration with Italian Trade Agency.
Since 2017, Alessandro Zucchi leading the ACIMIT as the President.
Born in the province of Bergamo in 1958, Zucchi has garnered multi-year experiences in the textile machinery sector.
Moreover, Zucchi has long been active in the life of the association, lending his support to outgoing president Raffaella Carabelli, as Vice President. Since 2015, he has been involved with ACIMIT’s delegation at Cematex, the Committee of European Textile Machinery Associations.
Recently, Alessandro Zucchi shared his vision and various aspects with Textile Today. Here is a glimpse of the discussion for the readers.
Textile Today: ACIMIT (the Association of Italian Textile Machinery Manufacturers) reached its 75th anniversary. How many members you have now? As an old and experienced organization, how is it setting its future goal?
Alessandro Zucchi: ACIMIT member companies are about 170. Our goal remains that of promoting the Italian textile machinery industry, making Italian manufacturers known and supporting them in their international activities.
Textile Today: Consumers are demanding special finishes on the products as a protection against infections. How are ACIMIT member companies working on this aspect? Have there been any specific initiatives by Italian companies to battle future crises?
Alessandro Zucchi: Innovation is the main feature of the Italian textile machinery sector. To face the pandemic, our companies are working with their textile customers, especially those operating in the technical textiles and nonwovens sector, to provide proper solutions to the health emergency in which we find ourselves.
“Italian manufacturers distinguish themselves for the high level of innovation that allows them to offer appropriate solutions to reduce production costs throughout the entire textile chain.”
Textile Today: How is ACIMIT facilitating to their members for increasing business worldwide?
Alessandro Zucchi: Every year ACIMIT, in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and the Italian Trade Agency, carries out various promotional activities aimed at bringing together our companies with potential customers in different countries.
Textile Today: How ACIMIT can help Bangladeshi textile manufacturers to adopt cost-effective process?
Alessandro Zucchi: We are aware that companies remain competitive in the global market textile if they can offer low prices. In this situation, the Italian manufacturers distinguish themselves for the high level of innovation that allows them to offer appropriate solutions to reduce production costs throughout the entire textile chain.
Textile Today: What are the latest innovations are coming up by Italian textile machinery manufacturers considering sustainability particularly chemical, water, environment and energy?
Alessandro Zucchi: As far as sustainability is concerned, ACIMIT and its member companies have been committed for years to offering machines that are sustainable both from an environmental and economic point of view. This commitment is testified by the ACIMIT Sustainable Technologies project. The ACIMIT Green Label, the core of the project, certifies the progressive reduction of consumption of raw materials, energy and chemicals for the textile companies that use labeled Italian machines.
Textile Today: What are the plans taken by ACIMIT for its members’ business & brand promotion in the year ahead?
Alessandro Zucchi: After 2020 marked by the pandemic, 2021 should be the year of recovery. The vaccination campaign launched in many Countries gives hope for a return to normality and travel abroad for our employees. In the meantime, ACIMIT is carrying out several promotional activities, such as webinars, that can introduce the supply of our manufacturers to textile operators of selected countries.
