Representatives of nearly all the Italian replicators and related services providers formed the Italian Optical Disc Forum with the goal of “opening a discussion and working out strategies to get through the difficult challenges of the moment,” as per Roberto Marsico, manager of Singulus Italia, who proposed the industry get-together.

Executives from some 20 companies met last week at the offices of Replix Magazine in Meda, Milan. They included Artech, Digital Press, Duplas, Easy Replica, Ecofina, Erre Erre, Gdd, Gima, Hotform, IMG Group, MAF, Magi, Metalsistem, Multimedia Press, Pozzoli, Replic, Sabic, Sacmaplast, Singulus, Sonopress and Tapematic.

Marsico suggested that, while trying to work out shared strategies in a context of a competitive marketplace was not possible in the past, the serious current economic circumstances call for a different approach.

The shrinkage of the market was a fact immediately perceived by all, with the industry sector’s turnover in the first half year falling to about 30% of what it was in the same period in 2008, writes Replix’s Roberto Shaw, reporting on the proceedings. The fall of DVD volumes, the constant price erosion, down to loss-making levels, ever stronger competition in the home market from French and Spanish competitors, and delays and difficulties in payments, all conspire to make life extremely difficult to all the actors.

The excessive production optical disc capacity in Europe, and in Italy in particular was singled out as being a big part of the problem. The balancing act of all those convened is to try to come up with some agreed practices that mitigate the effect of the current economic conditions on their operations while working in a competitive market.

A proposal to unite all Italian manufacturers of optical media into a professional body whose objective would be to defend the interests of the sector and build a “shared market space” was agreed by a majority of those present, with opposition from delegates from Pozzoli, Ecofina, Tapematic, Hot Form and Gima.

A meeting to lay down the details of such an organization is due in September.

Story filed 27.07.09