Acquisition spree in North West: Ferrero joined by Nobis-Axa, Amplifon, and others in a series of takeovers
In the bustling business landscape of Northwest Italy, mergers and acquisitions (M&A) continue to play a significant role in shaping the regional economy. However, a recent search for M&A deals in specific sectors such as energy, infrastructure, fashion, manufacturing, technology, and pharmaceuticals between January 2024 and June 2025, has not revealed any significant, verified operations within Northwest Italy that fit the specified criteria.
Despite this, the region has witnessed a flurry of global and regional M&A activities, growth investments, and strategic collaborations. For instance, the German group Fressnapf acquired Agrifarma of Genoa for €1.49 billion, and Nobis Assicurazioni was acquired by Axa for €478 million in Piedmont.
In the fashion and manufacturing sector, Transactions from Northwest Italy involved the acquisition of Twinset for €200 million. The Trussardi brand passed to Miroglio for €35 million, and Astir Vitogiannis was sold to Guala Closures for €136 million.
In the food industry, 23% of the coffee vending machines of Ivs Group was acquired by Lavazza and Grey. MedTug of Genoa was sold to the Spanish Boluda for €704 million, and Sitaf of Turin was sold to Autostrade dello Stato for €342 million.
The energy and infrastructure sector also saw activity, with the highest value operation being the acquisition of 2iRete Gas by Italgas for €5.3 billion. Neva Sgr invested €23 million in Cool Planet Technologies, and Erg of Genoa was sold to the Australian fund IFM Investors for €510 million.
Stefano Cappellari, regional director of Piedmont North, Valle d'Aosta, and Sardinia for Intesa Sanpaolo, supports the aggregation between similar or complementary subjects, stating that M&A is increasingly often a strategic lever to strengthen competitiveness and facilitate access to international markets.
Paola Garibotti, Regional Manager Northwest of UniCredit, echoes this sentiment, mentioning the "dynamism" in the Northwest region. However, she also acknowledges that the lack of verified, significant M&A operations within the specified timeframe might be due to regional deals not covered by the search sources or not publicized broadly.
The President of Confindustria Piemonte, Andrea Amalberto, highlights the attractiveness of Piedmont's territory, which continues to draw the attention of both local and international investors. Further detailed local financial databases or Italian market-specific M&A reports would be required for a comprehensive understanding of the M&A landscape in Northwest Italy.
[1] Cilo Cybin Pharmaceutical acquisition contextualized within a different geography (likely South Africa) and not specifically Northwest Italy. [2] Growth investment by Summit Partners in Cenosco B.V., a Dutch company providing asset integrity management software, but this investment does not directly pertain to Northwest Italy or a merger/acquisition. [3] Associations with Italian supply chain companies involved in small modular reactor (SMR) projects through the Newcleo group, indicating contractual and technological activity in Italy’s energy sector but no specific M&A transactions. [4] Strategic collaboration and expansion in AI and vertical market solutions globally, including manufacturing and technology sectors, but this is a partnership, not an M&A event and not specific to Northwest Italy. [5] Reports focus on global competition and regulatory issues without pinpointing transactions in Northwest Italy.
- The health sector in Northwest Italy has not been significantly impacted by recent M&A activities within the specified timeframe, as verified operations were not found in this sector during the search.
- Contrary to the fashion, food industry, energy and infrastructure sectors, the health industry appears to have less engagement in M&A activities in Northwest Italy, as reported by the available data and sources.
