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The doors to Cersaie have just opened in Bologna. Being staged for the 39th time, the International Exhibition of Ceramic Tiles and Bathroom Furnishings opened this morning, September 26, with the traditional ribbon cutting in Piazza della Costituzione volowed by the opening conference. Several dignitaries were in attendance, including the president of the Emilia-Romagna region, Stefano Bonaccini; the president of Bologna Fiere, Gianpiero Calzolari; the president of Confindustria Ceramica, Giovanni Savorani; and, via Zoom, the Minister for Ecological Transition, Roberto Cingolani. This year’s opening conference was titled Ceramic Manufacturing: Sustainability and Responses to the Energy Crisis.
As Calzolari mentioned, with the event’s figures again comparable to pre-Covid results, Cersaie continues to be Fiera Bologna’s flagship event. However, the challenge, he added, is to turn the numerous opportunities on offer into concrete results. Exhibitor numbers were 624, with 38% from 26 countries besides Italy. While almost sellout numbers and high hotel occupancy rates around the city can be seen as positive signs of an industry on the move, the overall mood has been unsettled by a war in the heart of Europe, the energy crisis, and the Italian elections. And the speakers at the opening conference couldn’t avoid these issues, starting with President Bonaccini: “For the ceramics sector, capping gas prices, the moratorium on mortgages, and doubling tax credits up to 50% can no longer be postponed”. As Savorani also pointed out, these measures have become urgent for the sector to operate. The crucial element, according to Savorani, is to find the proper balance between energy transition and economic sustainability.
Minister Cingolani also mentioned the importance of a gas price cap, announcing that it will probably be in place by the end of the week (Friday, September 30) after the meeting of the European ministers:
“By diversifying supply, 2022 should be safe - he said -, while in 2023, the watchword will be regasification, with the two ships purchased to be put into operation as soon as possible.”
The executive vice-president of ISPI, Paolo Magri, also spoke on the subject, firmly linked to the conflict in Ukraine:
“The war is certainly the main cause of these imbalances, and it’s difficult to know what to expect. The balance between the forces on the ground, the link between the outcome of the war and the very existence of the Russian regime are factors that are impossible to read clearly. Energy will never return to the way it was. But the best remedy for high prices is high prices themselves, since they produce a decline in volumes and, therefore, a reduction in inflation. To survive, we need to diversify and carefully move into new markets.”
>>> Discover the unmissable events planned for September 26–30 in Bologna.
Location: Bologna, Italy
Organiser: promoted by Confindustria Ceramica in collaboration with BolognaFiere, organized by Edi.Cer.
Dates: September 26th – 30th, 2022
Images courtesy of Edi.Cer.
