Viscom: visual communication in Italy generates almost 23 billion euros in turnover

Data from a study carried out by The European House – Ambrosetti (Teha Group) for Viscom 2026 (28 and 29 October, Milan) shows that the visual communication ecosystem in Italy generates almost 23 billion euros in turnover.

The study, entitled "The visual communication ecosystem: scenarios, transformations and development priorities", will be presented at the opening of Viscom's conference programme and represents a true one-off in the national landscape. For the first time, the visual communication market is analysed not as a collection of separate sectors, but as an extended and interconnected value chain: an ecosystem that starts with upstream technologies, develops through the core printing and converting processes, and ultimately serves a wide range of end-use application areas, from retail & Gdo, to events, and through to real estate and automotive.

A defined scope for a strategic sector

Until now, quantifying the sector's contribution has been a complex challenge because of the cross-sectoral nature of the companies that make it up. Moving beyond traditional statistical classifications, Teha Group applied an unprecedented lens: through a detailed analysis of companies' corporate purposes, it was able to identify with extreme precision the share of businesses actually attributable to visual communication, overcoming the limitations of generic Ateco codes. This work made it possible to establish the ecosystem's real boundaries: the data outline the proportions of a sector capable of generating almost 23 billion euros in turnover, 7 billion euros in added value and supporting approximately 85.000 employees nationwide.

From supply to brand experience: a preview of the study

However, the economic volumes represent only the starting point. Teha Group's research examines companies' sentiment in depth, revealing a sector in transformation: from simply supplying physical products to creating genuine "experience platforms" for brands.

Some findings from the survey reveal that for 61% of companies, the top strategic priority for the next three years will be the development of "new services and applications", alongside the creation of "tailor-made solutions" (considered relevant by 48% of the sample, comprising 156 companies in the value chain). In response to customers increasingly demanding personalisation and turnkey projects, visual communication is not losing relevance; rather, it is taking on an increasingly central and strategic role in marketing, sales and brand differentiation.

These and other macro-trends, together with the challenges associated with business fragmentation, technological innovation and sustainability, will be at the heart of the debate that will open Viscom 2026.

The comment

"By commissioning this research from Teha Group, Viscom is taking a historic step forward. Being able to rely on the authority of a strategic partner further strengthens Viscom's positioning in Italy," comments Cecilia Montalbetti, exhibition manager at Viscom. "Our objective is to provide a real and unified picture of a sector that had never previously been analysed in such depth. An unprecedented study for our sector: the data and scenarios we will present on 28 October will be an indispensable working tool for guiding industrial decisions in the coming years."

This article was translated from the original Italian version with the assistance of artificial intelligence. In case of discrepancies, please refer to the original Italian version.