The initiative represented a unique meeting opportunity to discuss and exchange views on the technical and economic developments in the sector.

April 03, 2025 – Over 100 operators took part in the ECTA Conference 2025, the annual conference of the European Cutting Tools Association – the association representing European manufacturers of processing tools for industrial use – which returned to Italy after seven years and was held in the city of Turin from 20 to 22 March.

The initiative, organised by UCIMU-Sistemi Per Produrre, the Italian machine tools, robots and automation systems manufacturers' association, in cooperation with ECTA, represented a unique meeting opportunity to discuss and exchange views on the technical and economic developments in the sector. The event brought together the main players in the metalworking process, including manufacturers of cutting tools, inserts, tool materials, tool grinding machines, machine tool components and representatives from the academic and research world.

Austria, Australia, Belgium, South Korea, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxemburg, Spain, United States and Switzerland were the countries represented by the attendees.

“We are very pleased – stated Federico Costa, president of ECTA – with the incredible attendance at the ECTA Conference 2025. The high turnout of operators at the event confirms the importance of this appointment and the need for operators to meet and discuss the issues that are crucial for our industry, today and in the near future.”. “The city of Turin – added Costa – with its history, culture and strong tradition in the mechanical and automation sector, proved to be an ideal location to host both business activities and more informal side initiatives.”

The highlight of the three-day event was the conference on Friday 21, hosted in the historic setting of Palazzo Costa Carrù della Trinità. To open the work sessions, the welcome address by Federico Costa, followed by the speeches of Stefan Zecha, CEO of Zecha Hartmetall Werkzeugfabrikation and Chairman of VDMA Precision Tools; Manfred Grimm, Market Data and Statistics Specialist of VDMA Precision Tools; Mike Stokey, senior vice-president  of USCTI and executive vice-president of Allied Machine & Engineering; Melissa Albeck, Member of the Executive Board of Ceratizit; Emilio Franco, CFA – Chief Executive Officer of Mediobanca SGR; Giuliano Noci, full professor of Strategy and Marketing and vice-rector for China at the Polytechnic University of Milan (Politecnico di Milano); Guido Saracco, full professor of Chemical Fundamentals of Technologies at the Polytechnic University of Turin and Jack Sintini, head of Training Department and Regional Sales Manager of Randstad and volleyball champion.

“The valuable content – said Federico Costa – presented during the conference on Friday, offered an accurate economic and geopolitical picture, with up-to-date data and future prospects for the sector. Moreover, issues such as Artificial Intelligence and digitalisation of production processes, together with more motivational insights, provided new food for thought and reflections for the business of operators in the sector”.

Not only business and in-depth thematic meetings: over the three days of the event, ECTA CONFERENCE 2025 also offered a rich social programme, an occasion for social, cultural and convivial gathering, really appreciated by all the attendees.

“I am proud to confirm – stated Riccardo Rosa, president of UCIMU – the excellent success of the ECTA Conference 2025, an initiative that met with the full satisfaction of all participants! For our association, it was an honour to organise, together with our colleagues from ECTA, this important event, which was able to attract so many operators from all over the world, as a testimony to Italy's central role in the manufacturing industry and mechanical and metalworking applications”. “The success of the Italian machine tool industry is also the result of the extensive and fruitful cooperation among our companies and their partners: among these, cutting tool companies play an important role. That is why the ECTA Conference is a crucial meeting opportunity not only for entrepreneurs and managers in the tooling industry, but also for manufacturers.”

“In a more and more digital world, the key factors in the event, such as the importance of personal relationships, the value of a continuous exchange of ideas and information among the various players of the modern supply chains are increasingly necessary to maintain the competitiveness of the enterprises in the sector. For this reason, – concluded Riccardo Rosa – UCIMU will be pleased to be able to organise this initiative again, on the occasion of the future edition that will be scheduled in Italy!”

“The success of the ECTA Conference 2025 – concluded Federico Costa – was made possible also thanks to the invaluable support of the numerous international sponsors, who actively contributed to the realisation of the event. Our thanks go to them! The next ECTA Conference has already been scheduled from 7 to 9 May 2026 and will be held in Austria, in the city of Graz.”