ACIMIT Vice President Cristian Locatelli joined the innovation-focused discussions in Cairo as Italy and Egypt seek to deepen industrial cooperation, investment and technology partnerships.
Italian textile machinery was among the industrial technologies represented at the Egypt–Italy Business Forum in Cairo, where companies, business associations and government institutions from both countries gathered to explore new opportunities for trade, investment and industrial cooperation.
Representing the Association of Italian Textile Machinery Manufacturers (ACIMIT), Vice President Cristian Locatelli participated in the panel dedicated to innovative technologies, underlining the association’s continued focus on Egypt as a strategic market for Italian machinery suppliers.
The forum was organized by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and the Italian Trade Agency (ITA), in collaboration with the Embassy of Italy in Egypt. More than 100 Italian companies participated, with nearly 600 attendees and approximately 1,000 B2B meetings scheduled across the event.
Textile Machinery Joins a Broader Industrial Dialogue
Discussions at the forum covered a wide range of strategic sectors, including infrastructure, energy and the green transition, transportation, advanced industrial technologies, digitalization and agritech.
For the textile sector, ACIMIT’s participation reflects the growing importance of Egypt within the international expansion strategy of Italian machinery manufacturers.
Locatelli’s involvement in the innovation panel also highlighted the role that advanced machinery, automation and production technologies could play as Egyptian manufacturers continue investing in modernization, efficiency and higher-value manufacturing.
Read more: ACIMIT and Italian Textile Machinery Manufacturers Strengthen Industry Ties in Egypt
Egypt Becomes a Key African Market for Italian Textile Machinery
The latest forum follows a series of initiatives aimed at strengthening textile-industry cooperation between Italy and Egypt.
In May 2026, ACIMIT and the Italian Trade Agency organized a dedicated textile technology workshop in Cairo involving 23 Italian machinery companies and more than 120 Egyptian industry operators.
According to ACIMIT data, Italian textile machinery exports to Egypt reached €72 million in 2025, making Egypt the leading African market for Italy’s textile machinery industry. Finishing, weaving and spinning technologies were among the machinery categories attracting the strongest demand from Egyptian manufacturers.
The figures demonstrate why Egypt is increasingly important for Italian technology providers as the country expands its textile manufacturing capacity and invests in modern production equipment.
Italy and Egypt Expand Business Cooperation
The textile machinery discussions took place within a much broader expansion of bilateral economic relations.
According to the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, trade between Italy and Egypt reached €5.9 billion in 2025, an increase of 11.7%, while bilateral trade grew by a further 7.5% during the first five months of 2026.
The Business Forum was designed to translate this momentum into new industrial partnerships and investment opportunities by bringing companies and institutions from the two countries into direct contact.
For Italian textile machinery manufacturers, Egypt combines a large domestic textile industry with access to markets across Africa, the Middle East and the Mediterranean, increasing its relevance as both a production base and technology market.
Read more: Egypt: Workshop on Italian Textile Technologies Concludes
Technology Partnerships Gain Strategic Importance
ACIMIT’s presence at the Egypt–Italy Business Forum reinforces a pattern of deeper engagement between Italian technology suppliers and Egyptian textile manufacturers.
As Egypt continues to modernize its spinning, weaving and finishing industries, demand for technologies capable of improving productivity, quality, automation and sustainability could create further opportunities for machinery suppliers.
For ACIMIT, strengthening direct dialogue between the Italian and Egyptian business communities is therefore not only about equipment exports. It also creates opportunities for technology transfer, industrial partnerships, investment and long-term cooperation between the two textile industries.
