The 13th edition of METEF will be held at BolognaFiere from 5 to 7 March 2025, at the same time as MECSPE, the reference exhibition for the manufacturing industry, with a wider and more comprehensive visitor offer.
From 5 to 7 March in Bologna, METEF, the international aluminium expo, returns to highlight new opportunities for the sector and offer opportunities to diversify business. Energy efficiency and decarbonisation fundamental for the aluminium supply chain, which is starting to grow again by focusing on sustainability.
In 2024 signs of recovery open the door to new opportunities for the aluminium supply chain: the MECSPE Observatory‘s aluminium focus shows that the order backlog is adequate for 67% of companies in the sector, with a good level of satisfaction for more than 8 out of 10 entrepreneurs.
After a period that saw the industry facing several challenges, the aluminium industry is showing encouraging signs of recovery. Indeed, the figures for 2024 reveal a positive picture: the rolled products order index showed a year-on-year increase of 25.4% in the domestic market and 6.8% in the foreign market.
At the same time, the extrusion sector saw an increase in orders of 28.4 per cent domestically and an impressive +42.4 per cent for exports [1].
The aluminium trend in Q1 2024
With the aim of monitoring the trend of the aluminium supply chain, the MECSPE Observatory devotes a focus to this sector and the data collected, relating to the first four months [2], show an adequate order backlog for 67% of the companies and a leap forward compared to the previous 60%, confirming the positive trend of the sector.
Satisfaction, indicated from medium to high by more than 8 out of 10 entrepreneurs, and willingness to grow are also on the rise: 69% of companies plan to grow within the next two years.
These numbers not only indicate a robust recovery, but also foreshadow a potential period of growth in the second half of the year, which will also see the approval of MIMIT’s Transition 5.0 Plan and give Italian companies access to new incentives with a view to ecological transition.
In this context of renewed dynamism, from 5 to 7 March 2025, BolognaFiere will host the 13th edition of METEF, the international expo of reference for the aluminium supply chain organised by Senaf. The event, which will take place at the same time as MECSPE, the main exhibition for the manufacturing industry, is set to be an unprecedented showcase for the sector’s innovations and challenges, especially in terms of sustainability.
METEF 2025 will highlight the development of industry through an extraordinary heritage of culture that has to contend with the new frontiers of technology and the new challenges of sustainable innovation.
On this very subject, the MECSPE Observatory highlighted how the aluminium industry is already working to implement virtuous actions in terms of sustainability.
Among the most frequently undertaken actions are the use of energy-efficient devices (64%), the purchase of new-generation efficient machinery and/or equipment (50%), and the installation of electricity and heat generation plants from renewable sources (40%).
These are just a few of the initiatives developed by companies in the sector that consider themselves sustainable or fairly sustainable (33%) and those that are moderately sustainable (48%) that are striving to work more and more to reduce their impact on the environment.
With a history of over 140 years in Italy, the aluminium supply chain continues to evolve, and METEF is positioned as an essential platform to explore the new frontiers of sustainability and energy efficiency in the world of aluminium.
The event will offer a complete overview of the sector, from the production of blanks to intermediate transformations, from foundry to extrusion, from diecasting to rolling, up to machining, finishing and the recycling system.
The latter is a sector in which Italy excels: in fact, if we think only of the aluminium packaging sector, as reported by CiAl (National Consortium of Aluminium Packaging) in 2023 a recycling percentage of 70.3% of the total marketed was reached [3].
Third edition of Aluminium Energy Summit
Sustainability and ecological transition will also be at the heart of METEF 2025’s rich programme, thanks to important initiatives such as the third edition of the Aluminium Energy Summit. A key event within the exhibition, the conference will bring together experts and industry leaders to discuss strategies for decarbonisation and energy efficiency. METEF will be the ideal platform for system players to exchange views and present the latest innovations and best practices in the industry.
Particular attention will also be paid to the crucial role of aluminium in electric mobility, thanks to the involvement of SALEMA, an EU-funded project designed to produce new aluminium alloys with a minimum content of Critical Raw Material by integrating scrap metal recycling. In cars produced on a large scale, 15% of all parts are made of aluminium, while in the electric vehicle sector this percentage exceeds 50%, and is constantly growing.
METEF 2025 will offer visitors a unique opportunity to explore these innovations, understand the challenges ahead and actively participate in shaping the sustainable future of the aluminium industry.
This promises to be a not-to-be-missed event for all operators in the sector, offering unique opportunities for networking, technological updating and business diversification. In a context of renewed confidence and market growth, the fair will be the meeting point for those who want to be protagonists of the new era of aluminium: greener, more efficient and more innovative than ever.
«METEF 2025 comes at a crucial time for the sector. The signs of optimism that we are registering are a symptom of an ongoing transformation. The aluminium supply chain is playing an increasingly central role in the transition towards a circular economy, and our exhibition will be the stage where this evolution will take concrete shape» comments Rossano Bozzi, Sole Director of METEF. «Reducing the CO2 footprint in the entire aluminium cycle is not only a challenge, but a concrete opportunity that requires the cooperation of all the players in the supply chain: from the foundry to the suppliers of plants and machinery, from the scrap sorting system to policy makers, from energy producers to suppliers of digital solutions. We are working to show the world how innovation and sustainability can go hand in hand in our sector, thanks also to the fundamental synergy with MECSPE, which will enrich the trade fair experience by offering an even wider and more complete range of solutions and products.»
METEF’s importance for the sector
For 25 years, METEF has been Italy’s only point of reference for the aluminium industrial supply chain: from raw materials, primary and recycled, to machinery, equipment, production and processing plants, semi-finished products, castings and finished products in the sectors of diecasting, gravity and low pressure foundry, extrusion, rolling and moulding, up to machining, assemblies, finishes and recycling technologies.
METEF is an event that was created and shaped in close cooperation with companies and industry professionals and today, in a global context of fierce competition, it is once again focusing on the consolidated expertise and experience of the industry segment.
As per tradition, it is strengthened by the irreplaceable support of the main national and international sector associations, to bring the development of the industry back to centre stage through an extraordinary heritage of culture that must measure itself against the new frontiers of technology and the new challenges of sustainable innovation.
METEF, whose organisation is entrusted to Senaf, will be held at the same time as MECSPE, the reference event for the manufacturing industry in Italy. The two events will be located in separate but adjoining halls to develop synergies and achieve common goals. A strong alliance between two events that are well known and consolidated in their respective markets, complementarity and completeness of the product range offered with the aim of offering visitors a complete and unmissable experience.
[1] Assomet data, first quarter 2024.
[2] MECSPE Observatory on the Manufacturing Industry conducted by GRS Research and Strategy on a sample of 196 Italian companies working in the aluminium sector, using CAWI methodology during June 2024.
[3] Cial (Consorzio Nazionale Imballaggi Alluminio) date 2023.
