Global policy for communities and the development of knowledge

IMA, a global player in the industrial automation and packaging sector, supports the communities of the territories in which it operates through contributions and donations of various kinds. IMA’s effort in carrying out its activities – requests from end users, product development and innovation, procurement activities, the work of its people and the production process with its related environmental impact terms – also has a territorial implication. The Group therefore generates direct and indirect impacts in the territories in which it operates, both in terms of local induced activities and in terms of disbursements and support for the development of the respective communities.

Support initiatives for communities in Italy and around the world

On the continents where IMA has production sites and plants, the companies of the Group are committed to contributing to activities in support of local associations and entities. During 2021, IMA companies around the world supported projects and initiatives in various fields, including:

Health, with donations to institutes and associations engaged in research, prevention and treatment of various diseases.

Social, with contributions and funding to non-profit organisations and associations, engaged in assisting people in difficulty.

Instruction, with support to schools and universities through contributions in favour of study and training courses dedicated to future generations, with particular attention to technical-scientific training.

Sport, with contributions to various local and national sports associations.

Local communities play an important role for IMA, which is committed to building a close link with the territorial context of the countries in which it operates and promoting sustainable development. Harmony with the community, as well as being indispensable, is to be considered strategic both through dialogue with the various entities and through the participation and promotion of projects and initiatives in support of the territory.

During 2021, the Italian companies of IMA supported numerous social, cultural, training and sports initiatives, providing contributions and donations for a total sum of 1.768 million euros. This amount includes the resources allocated to social responsibility projects, expenses incurred for the benefit of employees, such as for sports groups or other corporate initiatives, and fees paid by IMA to join representative or industry associations.

The global impact of the COVID-19 virus still has repercussions on an economic, social, historical, institutional and scientific level. The choices made by IMA and the various Group companies regarding support for the community took into account the persistence of the global health emergency and, more generally, issues related to health and the protection of people, also renewing support in 2021 for Antoniano Onlus and Médecins Sans Frontières.

Antoniano Onlus (Antoniano Charities) – Together to help families in need

For several years, IMA has been contributing to the project Together for families for welcoming and supporting families in difficulty through a path of social protection, integration and autonomy. It continued to do so in 2021, a difficult year characterised by a real social as well as health emergency. The recipients of the interventions are nuclear families in situations of serious difficulty and / or danger, intercepted by the Listening Center or reported by the Territorial Social Services for which Antoniano carries out a series of dedicated activities, which have been reorganised due to the health emergency. These are people who need to find a job, to create a professionalism, to feel part of a community again and to be able to guarantee their children a dignified life. In addition to the canteen, the project includes a listening centre, an economic fund for families and residential accommodation.

Médecins Sans Frontières – The emergency in Afghanistan

For several years, IMA has supported Médecins Sans Frontières and in 2021 it made a grant to support MSF’s work in Afghanistan. After the conflict ceased, the needs of the Afghan population remain enormous and the hospitals managed by MSF continue to take care of people who were injured during the conflict or who, due to the conflict itself, were unable to receive the necessary medical assistance. Of prominence is the free and high quality maternal and neonatal health care in two hospitals in the cities of Lashkar Gah and Khost, aimed at reducing the mortality and morbidity of mothers and their newborns along with medical staff training. In addition to outpatient visits, childbirth assistance and surgery, special attention is given to the training of local female staff: in fact, almost all of the midwives are Afghan women, with a lot of experience in managing complicated births. In a context of instability and insecurity like the current one, other treatments concern:

• the diagnosis and treatment of drug resistant tuberculosis in the province of Kandahar;
• trauma care at the Kunduz centre where a clinic has been opened for patients with injuries and minor injuries related to trauma, and where a new trauma centre is under construction;
• medical assistance to the displaced population in Herat and management of a hospital therapeutic feeding centre in the paediatric ward of the Herat regional hospital for malnourished children.

Projects related to the health of people remain a priority for IMA which continues to support various care and research associations with its contribution.

Discover more>>