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.
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”.
