(Finance) – The Conference was held this morning in Milan at the Assolombarda headquarters “The world in 2025: time to deliver” organized in
partnership with Assolombarda and SACE, as part of the ISPI and Intesa Sanpaolo Geoeconomics Observatory. The meeting – which was inspired by the ISPI Dossier “The world in 2025: time to deliver” – had the objective of analyzing the main geopolitical and geoeconomic challenges of 2025, outlining the scenarios within which companies will find themselves operating and presenting risks and opportunities.
“Reversing the current difficult economic cycle is a priority for the competitiveness of the country and our businesses – he declared Alessandro Spada, president of Assolombarda –. Ahead of a new political and economic season of Donald Trump’s America First
and as the various international geopolitical nodes evolve, we need greater security and therefore a more industrial Europe that overcomes the ideological approach and the regulatory system that are destroying, for example, the car industry: the new European Commission changes course and implements the Draghi Agenda. Today’s urgency to relaunch growth is linked to two crucial aspects for the competitiveness of a company: energy and investments. Our competitiveness is at stake in these matches, we cannot lose further ground.”
“Leaving behind us the biggest election year in recent history, 2025 – he said Paolo Magri, president of the ISPI Scientific Committee – is announced as the one in which the main players and global challenges will be put to the test of facts, the year in which
transform ambitions into concrete actions. It is undeniable that it will be Trump above all who will make the difference: for America, for China, for Europe, for the entire world. And knowing the unpredictability, the taste for provocations, the negotiating approach of the 47th US president, 2025 opens with one great certainty: it will be the year of great uncertainty”.
“We are the fourth exporting country in the world, behind only China, the United States and Germany and exports are the main driver of Italian GDP and employment: we predict – he declared Alessandra Ricci, CEO of SACE – a growth of 3.5% for 2025 equal to 679 billion euros. And in a complex geopolitical context of global challenges we have identified two strategic growth keys on which Italian companies must focus: exports and innovation. To be more competitive, they can leverage the diversification of outlet markets, consequently decreasing the concentration of risk and expanding the number of reference supply chains, relying on AI and technological innovation”.
“The great uncertainty for 2025 – he said Gregorio De Felice, chief economist of Intesa Sanpaolo – is linked to the European Union’s ability to respond to delays (in terms of innovation, productivity and investments), already accumulated over time, which risk worsening with the Trump Presidency. The American administration’s agenda aims to strengthen the competitiveness of the United States, through tax cuts, a different trade policy and a halt to the energy transition. Short-term inflationary effects
will modify the Fed’s rate reduction path, limiting them to two interventions of 25bps each. Instead, we expect the ECB to decide on four rate cuts of 25bps already in the first half of 2025. For Italy we forecast growth of 1%, confident in a recovery in household consumption. However, a relaunch of public (PNRR) and private investments (in negative territory from mid-2023) is needed.”
“In Alfasigma over the last two years we have invested more than one billion euros in acquisitions, particularly in the biotechnology sector. We are ambitious and concrete in our path, as well as aware that in the current context it is crucial to combine innovation, speed to market and a high quality standards – he declared Marco Castino, general manager, Alfasigma Italia –. Thinking globally and working in culturally diverse teams are some key elements to building a culture geared towards excellence and growth. Our approach will continue to combine pragmatism and vision, as has always been in Alfasigma’s DNA, with the aim of responding promptly to market conditions and patient needs.”
“We have important expectations on several markets outside of Europe, on which we also intend to work to support our growth in other sectors beyond automotive – he declared Giuseppe Fontana, CEO Fontana Gruppo –. Our strategy has always been aimed at localisation, that is, at building structures and organizations capable of serving those same markets on site in the various markets”.