MECSPE OBSERVATORY 2025
Evolving industry: training critical to meet manufacturing challenges
The shortage of qualified personnel continues to be a challenge for more than half of entrepreneurs, prompting companies to invest in training;
44 percent of companies already collaborate with ITS and universities to develop new skills;
Digitization and sustainability at the core of business strategies, supported by the Transition 5.0 Plan and 6.3 billion in incentives.
Bologna, March 6, 2025 – The manufacturing industry is the starring in one of the most anticipated events for the sector: MECSPE, the benchmark exhibition for manufacturing, organized by Senaf and running at BolognaFiere from March 5-7, 2025, now in its 23rd edition. With more than 2,100 exhibiting companies, 13 topic-base salons and more than 100,000 square meters of exhibition space, MECSPE is a unique opportunity to explore the latest technological innovations, meet with industry experts and discover new opportunities for growth.
The 2025 edition is distinguished by a strong focus on the ecological and digital transition, while also giving ample space to the issue of the skills needed for its development. Thanks to the Transition 5.0 Plan, which with 6.3 billion euros in incentives pushes the adoption of advanced technologies, MECSPE offers a privileged space to discuss topics as relevant as ever such as artificial intelligence, collaborative robotics, digital twin and additive manufacturing, key tools for improving production efficiency, which are leading to the emergence of new professions that require specific skills that can support the implementation of new technologies and the path of digitization.
The issue of training and developing digital skills is, as of today, as crucial as ever, especially considering that one of the main critical issues that Italian manufacturing companies are facing, according to the MECSPE Observatory presented yesterday at the inaugural conference at the fair, is the difficulty in finding human resources (53 percent)[1]. To make up for the shortage of qualified personnel, more and more companies are relying on collaboration with universities and ITS institutes, which offer highly specialized training paths for technical fields and immediate entry into the world of work. Forty-four percent of companies surveyed have already activated partnerships with ITS and universities to introduce qualified young talent, highlighting the importance of synergy between school and industry. However, 31 percent of companies said they have not yet initiated collaborations, although they plan to do so in the coming year. This figure confirms the central role of higher technical education in providing companies with the skills they need to meet market challenges.
Another key issue for companies is internal training: 61 percent of companies have already invested in refresher courses for their staff, recognizing the importance of strengthening existing skills. In addition, 21 percent of companies have decided to target young talent through agreements with ITS and universities, while 15 percent plan to organize training courses in the coming months.
Compared to last year, there has been a significant increase in the number of companies that consider the skill set of their staff to be in line with business growth needs. At the same time, there is an increase in companies focusing on training and refresher courses as a strategic lever to improve competitiveness and production efficiency. This trend confirms a growing awareness of the importance of continuing education to meet the challenges of the changing marketplace.
MECSPE’s training initiatives
For more than two decades, MECSPE has been committed to cultivating the future of the industry along three lines: innovation, sustainability and education. With each edition, the exhibition provides space for educational initiatives and innovative projects created by young talents.
Prominent among this year’s initiatives is MECSPE Young & Career, an itinerary created with the aim of offering young visitors-students, new graduates and recent graduates-the opportunity to participate in training appointments organized by exhibitors, get in touch with companies active in the field of guidance and training, and apply for the job opportunities on offer. The initiative will include an interactive area where projects, case histories and guidance and training workshops will be presented. A true hub where job supply and demand meet, creating new ideas and collaborations for the Italian manufacturing world.
“It is crucial for us to give space to young talents and bring them closer to the world of manufacturing, which is still today the victim of false clichés ,” says Maruska Sabato, MECSPE project manager. “That is why every year at MECSPE we promote initiatives in which young people can show their projects directly to companies and broaden their knowledge about the prospects offered by the sector. Work is changing, and we cannot lag behind in terms of digitization and sustainability, aspects that are increasingly central to young people, the real players in tomorrow’s industry”
Facts and figures of MECSPE BOLOGNA 2025
66.906 professional visitors (2024 figure), 100,000 sq. m. of exhibition space, more than 2,100 companies present, 2,000 sq. m. of MECSPE LAB – Innovation Space, 13 trade shows, 17 special initiatives, more than 120 conferences.
MECSPE Exhibitions
Machines and Tools – Machine tools, Equipment, Tools and Design Software; Sheet Metal Working Machines – Bending, Stamping, Cutting, Assembly, Welding, Materials and Software; Digital Factory – Industrial Informatics, IoT, Industrial Sensing, Cloud-manufacturing, Automatic Identification Technologies, Applications, Devices, Instrumentation and Intelligent Components for Process Interpretation and Interconnection; Logistics – Packaging, Packaging, Handling, Material handling, Lean manufacturing, Warehouse management software, Supply chain management, Security Systems, PPE, Third party; Mechanical Subcontracting – Precision Machining, Metal Carpentry, Mechanical Constructions, Fasteners, Foundries, Minuteries, Wire Processing, Third Party Industrial Processing, Micromachining; Elettronica Italia – Cem (contract electronics manufacturer), Wiring harnesses, Ems (electronics manufacturing service), Pcb (printed circuit board manufacturers), Engineering and design studios; Eurostampi, plastics , rubber and composites – Plastics, rubber and composites processing, Machinery and equipment, Auxiliary equipment, Innovative materials, Molding, Extrusion, Packaging, Blowing, Molds, Models, Normalized mold components, Design, Simulation and design software, Micromachining; Additive Manufacturing – 3D Printing, Rapid Prototyping, Rapid Manufacturing, Systems and services for reverse engineering, Additive Technology, Materials, Services, Hardware: 3D printers and scanners, accessories, Simulation and design software; Treatments and Finishes – Surface treatment equipment, Furnaces, Electroplating, Chemical and electronic processes, Washing, Metallization, Enameling, Galvanizing, Products and accessories for treatments, Heat Treatments, Painting; Nonferrous Materials and Alloys – Nonferrous materials processing (Aluminum, Titanium, Magnesium, Light alloys), Die castings, Foundries, Contract industrial processing, Technologies, Design, Engineering; Automation and Robotics-Automation and Robotics, Assembly, Assembly and Handling; Control and Quality-Certification and Quality Control, Metrology, Measuring Instruments, Laboratory Testing, Calibration, Analytical Equipment, Vision; Power Drive-Mechanical Power Transmission Parts, Hydraulics, Pneumatics, Mechatronics, Motion Control, Maintenance, Compressed Air.
For further information visit www.mecspe.com
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[1] MECSPE Observatory on the Manufacturing Industry for Q3 2024 conducted by GRS Research and Strategy on a sample of 784 Italian manufacturing companies, using the CAWI (Computer Assisted Web Interviewing) method carried out in January-February 2025.
