After a still-positive trend in January and February (in the wake of the +5.9% result at the end of 2012), the first quarter of 2013 instead closed with a downturn for Italian exports of plastics and rubber processing machinery, according the Italian National Institute of Statistics - ISTAT figures processed by Assocomaplast (the Italian trade association belonging to CONFINDUSTRIA, which groups together some 165 manufacturers). In fact, foreign sales in this sector fell 4% compared to January-March 2012, set against a 9-point drop in imports. The result is on the whole not surprising, given

The Italian Trade Commission Los Angeles (USA) recently conducted its study on the global awareness of Italian solution providers in the aviation industry with the following objectives: •Investigate awareness levels of Italian machinery for the aviation industry; •Determine perception of manufacturing equipment from various countries; •Examine aspects important in machine purchases, as well as purchases planned for the near future. Over 150 manufacturers within the industry completed this study. Italian Trade Commission 2013 Global Aviation Manufacturers Awareness Study

THE BIOTECH SECTOR IN ITALY: A GROWING AND PROMISING REALITY Vigorous growth and an excellent innovation capacity. These are the principal characteristics of the Italian biotech sector. In view of the tender age of this industry such characteristics are, in some respects, very surprising. Thanks to them, Italy has managed to meet a challenge that would have been unthinkable a few years ago: to finally appear on the radar screens of the major biopharmaceutical and biotechnological companies and venture capital operators. There are tangible facts behind this phenomenon: new enterprises emerging