Activity in sectors linked to professional investment saw another year of strong growth in 2019: +3.5% in value terms. Growth more than twice as high as national economic growth, but not benefiting the packaging and process machinery and professional printing and information systems sectors, according to figures from the Federation of International Mechanical and Electronic Companies* (Ficime).
- 3.5 % for packaging and process machines
The packaging and process machinery sector the decline in 2019 was -3.5%, with an even sharper decline in the second half of the year (-5%). However, the pharmaceuticals business was less impacted. "The whole sector is suffering from a growing disaffection with plastics for obviously environmental reasons. Hence a certain timidity in decision-making, resulting in the postponement of industrial investment in the sector, with a risk of calling into question the economic model . " The SME customers in this sector remain particularly attentive and tend to retrofit machines rather than purchase new ones.
- 2.2% for professional printing and information systems and solutions
The business sector in professional printing and information systems and solutions is also down - 2.2% in 2019.
"The expansion of business services, particularly application suites, has not compensated for the decline in sales of certain equipment and the underlying trend for companies to print less," says the trade union federation.
For 2020, both sectors are optimistic. Businesses in the Professional Printing and Information Systems and Solutions sector are expecting their business to grow by +3% in the first half of the year, thanks to the many tenders won in 2019.
Companies in the packaging and process machinery sector are expecting +3.5% of their activity in value terms in the first half of 2020. "Despite a lack of visibility in these markets, order books are filling up again and the business climate is improving, especially in the food sector" analyzes the Ficime.
*Ficime federates 13 trade unions and unions representing 417 mechanical and electronic companies, i.e. more than 100,000 jobs and a turnover of more than 40 billion euros.
