With a close eye on shifting market dynamics and evolving economic conditions, the Print Economic Forum once again opened the programme leading up to the Oro della Stampa Awards ceremony, confirming its role as the key pre-event of Italy’s most prestigious printing and converting industry recognition.
The Forum brings together winners from previous editions, sponsors and representatives from the trade media, creating a high-level platform for discussion around data, trends and forecasts essential to understand the evolution of the printing and converting sector. The event fostered a qualified dialogue between companies, analysts and key stakeholders across the printing and packaging value chain.
Market data
Among the main innovations of the 2025 edition was the introduction—alongside the long-established ranking of the “Big Players in Printing”—of the new “Big Players in Converting” ranking. The new classification aims to provide industry professionals with a more comprehensive view of corporate performance, market dynamics and benchmark indicators.
Moderated by Irene Elisei, journalist at Sky TG24, the Forum delivered a clear and data-driven overview of the sector’s economic and financial performance. The analysis was presented by Stefano Portolani, Senior Analyst at the Stratego Group Printing Research Centre.
The study was based on a panel of 1,082 Italian companies that filed financial statements and reported annual revenues exceeding €3 million. The panel, comprising printers and converters, represents a combined turnover of approximately €25 billion and employs around 64,000 people.
According to the analysis, the sector recorded an overall revenue slowdown of about 4% compared to the previous year. Forty-five per cent of the panel companies reported increased revenues year-on-year, while around 10% posted negative profits.
Exposure to bank debt showed a downward trend, while investments in plants, machinery and equipment remained broadly stable. Notably, 72% of the companies reported higher net equity compared to the previous year.
The study was complemented by a survey conducted in November among the panel companies. The results highlighted that external growth through acquisitions is a key strategic priority for printers, while converters are strongly focused on internal innovation in R&D and regulatory compliance, particularly in relation to European regulations such as PPWR and broader sustainability requirements.
High-profile roundtable
Following Portolani’s presentation, a high-profile roundtable discussion featured contributions from Emanuele Delfino (CEO, La Prensa Etichette), Alessio Piazzetta (Chief Supply Chain Officer, Pixartprinting), Sabrina Sada (CFO, SADA Group), and Velleda Virno (CEO, Di Mauro Flexible Packaging).
The debate portrayed a resilient and dynamic industry, capable of innovating processes and business models, investing in sustainability and maintaining a strong competitive position in international markets. Company testimonials confirmed growth driven by solid strategic vision, a strong focus on quality, and an ongoing commitment to modernising production technologies.
The discussion also underlined the growing importance of structured and strategic external communication, essential for effectively telling the story of companies in the sector and strengthening brand identity.
Considerable attention was dedicated to the issue of generational transition, described not merely as a change in leadership but as a deeper shift in entrepreneurial mindset and management approach, within an economic and technological landscape undergoing rapid transformation.
Speakers also stressed the importance of attracting new talent, promoting upskilling initiatives, enhancing internal capabilities and strengthening employee retention, at a time when recruiting qualified professionals is becoming increasingly challenging.
Participants shared experiences and strategies aimed at making the sector more attractive to younger generations, including from the perspective of gender equality. The discussion additionally addressed highly topical issues such as the impact of tariffs on business competitiveness and the new challenges posed by Artificial Intelligence and emerging technologies, which require targeted investment and significant workforce reskilling.
“The Print Economic Forum once again proves how essential it is to create real opportunities for dialogue across the value chain”, concluded Enrico Barboglio, CEO of Stratego Group and organiser of the Forum. “At a time when our industry is facing complex challenges—from market evolution to generational change, from attracting new skills to the impact of emerging technologies—sharing data, visions and strategies is more important than ever.”
