The major international trade fair, a landmark for industry 4.0 and the specialized mechanical engineering sector, was already preparing to host over 1,350 exhibitors over an exhibition area of 60,000 sq.m.

MECSPE is assessing the damage caused by the sudden U-turn announced in the new ministerial decree of 25 October, which forbids the organization of “fairs of any kind”.

A landmark for innovation technologies and industry 4.0 in manufacturing, today the fair will begin to dismantle the stands and uninstall the machinery that was already being  set up for display. Scheduled to be held in Parma, Italy, from 29 to 31 October, MECSPE had been confirmed by a previous ministerial decree of 18 October and, on 24 October, work began on installing an exhibition area of 60,000 sq.m. in 6 different pavilions. All the current health regulations were followed to host visitors in safety and guarantee compliance with government norms to combat the pandemic.

“This is a hard blow, both for the fair and for the companies in the sector who have been coming to MECSPE for the last 19 years and have found new technologies, solutions for all kinds of production chains and ongoing training, as well as a unique opportunity to do trade and exchange ideas,” comments Ivo Nardella, President of SENAF, Gruppo Tecniche Nuove. “The new decree contradicts the previous one without considering the amount of time involved in planning a trade exhibition like MECSPE. For the specialized mechanical engineering sector, it represents three days of work that are vital for planning recovery. Mechanical engineering accounts for 8.1% of the added value of the whole Italian economy, 6.1% of employment and, when you consider that in Emilia Romagna, the region hosting the exhibition, mechanical engineering represents 56% of exports, you can understand the extent of the damage inflicted by this decision. What’s more, as far as we know, no discussions have been planned either with Confindustria (Confederation of Italian Industry) or with AEFI (Association of the Italian Exhibition Industry), for that matter. A trade exhibition impacting the professional lives of almost 90 thousand workers, from entrepreneurs, skilled workers and technicians to engineers, and driving a strategic sector for our country’s recovery, cannot and must not be treated in the same way as a village festival, with all due respect for such events. We hope to receive an invitation from the Finance and Treasury Minister, Roberto Gualtieri, to assess the extent of the damage. We would also like to thank all the companies and associations, both professional and territorial, who have chosen to be part of MECSPE. We apologize immensely for the inconvenience caused by the decision announced yesterday by Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte”.

MECSPE PARMA in numbers

60,000 sqm of exhibition space, more than 1,350 companies, 2,000 square meters of Gamification: The Factory without limits, 12 trade shows, and 77 special initiatives.  As of 2021, MECSPE will pursue its international development by moving to the BolognaFiere Exhibition Centre.

MECSPE Exhibition Halls

Macchine Utensili  – Machine tools | Equipment | Tools | Design software;  Fabbrica Digitale  – Industrial computing | IoT | Industrial sensors | Cloud-manufacturing | Automatic identification technologies | Applications, devices, instrumentation and intelligent components for interpreting and interconnecting processes;  Motek Italy  – Automation and Robotics | Assembly | Mounting and Handling;  Power Drive  – Mechanical power transmission systems | Oil-pressure | Pneumatics | Mechatronics | Motion control | Maintenance | Compressed air;  Control Italy  – Quality certification and control | Metrology | Measurement instruments | Laboratory tests | Calibration | Analysis equipment | Vision;  Logistica – Wrapping | Packaging | Handling | Material handling | Lean manufacturing | Warehouse management software | Supply chain management | Outsourcing | Safety | PPE;  Subfornitura Meccanica  – Precision mechanical processing | Metal carpentry | Mechanical construction | Fasteners | Foundries | Small parts | Wire working | Outsourced industrial processes | Micro-processing;  Subfornitura Elettronica – CEM (contract electronics manufacturers) | Cables | EMS (electronics manufacturing service) | PCB (printed circuit board manufacturers) | Engineering and design firms;  Eurostampi, Macchine e Subfornitura Plastica, Gomma e Compositi – Plastics, rubber and composite processing | Machines and plants| Innovative materials| Moulding | Extrusion | Packaging | Blow Moulding | Moulds | Models | Normalised parts for moulds | Design, Simulation and design software | Micro-processing | Auxiliary equipment ;  Additive Manufacturing  – Rapid prototyping | Rapid manufacturing | 3D printing | Systems and services for reverse engineering | Additive technology | Materials | Services | Hardware: 3D printers and scanners, accessories | Simulation and design software;  Trattamenti e Finiture –  Furnaces | Galvanic, Chemical and Electronic Processes |Washing | Metallising, Glazing, Galvanising | Products and Accessories for Treatments | Heat Treatments | Coating;  Materiali Non Ferrosi e Leghe  – Non-ferrous materials processing (Aluminium, Titanium, Magnesium, Light Alloys) | Die-casting | Foundries | Outsourced industrial processes | Technologies | Design | Engineering.

For information, www.mecspe.com

For more information

Press Office

MY PR – www.mypr.it

Giorgio Cattaneo – mob. 335-7053742

Paola Gianderico – mob 331-7623732 e-mail paola.gianderico@mypr.it

Dario Ferrari – tel_ 02-54123452 e-mail dario.ferrari@mypr.it