(Finance) – A strategic sector for theItalian economy with over 650 billion equivalent to a third of the GDP which, despite geopolitical uncertainty, has shown remarkable resilience but which can still grow, provided increase the share of exporting SMEsexploit new African and Asian markets, correctly interpret themes such as digitalization, energy transition and sustainability, enhance Italian communities abroad, better exploit the institutional network to support internationalization.
And the portrait of export and Made in Italy arising from Made in Italy Pre-Summit 2024 titled “New markets, global trade shifts”, digital event organized by Il Sole 24 Orein collaboration with Financial Times and Sky Tg 24. The event was created to prepare for the three-day Made in Italy Summit that will start on October 1st and will be dedicated to the new challenges and opportunities for Italian exports, in an increasingly multipolar world, marked by the crises in the Middle East and Ukraine.
Representatives from the worlds of politics, business, information, universities and institutions met to discuss a sector which, according to the SACE analysis, this year it will grow by 3.7%4.5% in 2025 and 4.2% on average in the following two years. A value that in euros in 2025 will reach 679 billion.
After the opening greetings of Fabio Tamburini, Director Il Sole 24 Ore, Alec RussellForeign Editor, Financial Times, and Joseph De Bellis, Director Sky TG24, the first panel was dedicated to the impact of geopolitics on world trade which they talked about Amy KazminRome Bureau Chief, Financial Times, and Gideon RachmanFinancial Times Chief Foreign Affairs Commentator.
“Prospects for Italian exports in the new multipolar world” were discussed, moderated by Morya Longo, journalist of Sole 24 OreAnd Mariangela PiraAnchor, Reporter Sky TG24, Marina BenedettiSenior Economist SACE Research Office, Alexander GiliResearch Fellow Geoeconomics Observatory, ISPI, and Mario PozzaPresident of Assocamerestero.
Marina Benedetti he said: “There are good news for exports: we are growing again and Italy is among the leading exporters in the world: 679 billion in 2025 and 4.1% average annual growth in the next two years. Between Artificial Intelligence and new technologies, Italian companies find themselves at crossing the threshold of a new era and the opportunities come from the GATE markets where SACE is present and which are worth 80 billion euros today and could be worth 95 billion by 2027: Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, Turkey, Serbia, Egypt, Morocco, South Africa, India, China, Vietnam, Singapore. This is what we analyzed in SACE’s Doing Export Report 2024, a practical guide for Italian companies to intercept high-potential markets. The future is not tomorrow, it is today and companies can focus on the sectors of the future such as instrumental mechanics applied to efficiency, circularity applied to production cycles and low carbon technologies which are worth 40 billion today and could be worth 50 billion by 2025″.
Second Mario Pozza “despite the critical issues that still mark the geopolitical and economic scenario, our exports continue to achieve great performancesin Europe as well as in many non-European markets. This is also confirmed by the data recorded by the Italian Chambers of Commerce abroad, which have estimated the extra value generated by the Made in Italy brand at 60 billion in markup recognized by foreign consumers for our products. In addition to being able to count on reliable sources of information, the over 50 thousand small and medium Italian businesses who turn every year to the Italian Chambers of Commerce abroad, find in them solid points of reference, capable of providing essential services and promoting trust connections with key contacts for the development of their business on local markets”.
The panel entitled “Strengthening investments in innovation to increase competitiveness” saw the participation of Marco NocivelliVice President of Confindustria for Industrial Policies and Made in Italy according to whom “Plan 5.0 represents an essential industrial policy tool for competitiveness and is a key measure of the new PNRR. The 6.3 billion euros earmarked for innovation projects represent a great opportunity, but using them all by 2025 is a real challenge because the Plan presents significant innovations both in terms of the objectives set and in terms of obligations and procedures. The decree for the implementation of the measure is now being examined by the Court of Auditors and we hope that this last step will take place very quickly. Confindustria’s commitment to achieving the targets set is maximum, in the belief that a modern and competitive industrial system is the key to enabling the development of an equally modern and inclusive society”.
From “financial support for Italian excellence between public and private” they spoke Barbara LonghiHead of Primary Markets, Borsa Italiana, Loriana PelizzanFull Professor of Economic Policy at Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, Head Financial Market department Leibniz Institute for Financial Research SAFE, and True TrueHead of Equity Investments SIMEST.
Vera Veri recalled that “we have been alongside Italian companies for over 30 years that are looking out onto international markets. Thanks to our nature as a long-term institutional partner, we concretely support the international growth projects of Italian companies – both new investments and acquisitions – by intervening with minority stakes in the capital of their foreign subsidiaries. A support that today sees us present in over 150 countries and that is made even more advantageous with the use of the resources of the Venture Capital Fund, managed in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Alongside the financial solutions, we provide companies with a wealth of skills gained in the field: this is the secret of our success in promoting Made in Italy abroad”.
To the focus dedicated to green themes and entitled “Energy efficiency and sustainability: the Transition 5.0 revolution” were attended by Jasmine VigliottiVice President European Investment Bank, Massimo Bitonci, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Business and Made in Italy, Nicholas LanzettaDirector of Italy of the Enel Group, Lara BridgesVice President of Confindustria for the Environmental Transition and ESG Objectives, and Mark TaischPresident of MICS – Made in Italy Circular and Sustainable and Professor of Sustainable Manufacturing, Digital Manufacturing and Operations Management, Politecnico di Milano.
“Enel’s strategic plan includes among its pillars environmental and financial sustainability and allocates significant investments to the strengthening of the electricity grid, ensuring that more and more customers can become prosumers, also thanks to tools such as those provided for by the 5.0 transition. We intend to continue with determination in this direction and lead Italy on a path of fair and inclusive energy transition”, he stated Nicholas Lanzetta.
Second Lara Bridges “the ongoing transition is generating unprecedented changes in society and consequently in businesses, changes that are asked of us first and foremost by consumers who want a greater balance between economic needs, the environment and people. Entrepreneurs are aware of this and they have embraced the transition towards a more sustainable business, but it is necessary to work in synergy with the government and Europe so that adequate tools and resources are put in place. We too, as the USA and China are doing, must move with greater integration and unitary strategies on innovation, digital and environmental transition to defend the value of our Made in Italy. Because no European country is strong enough on its own. We need a long-term industrial policy and a European plan for common investments, otherwise it becomes difficult to invest, innovate, and be able to think about the future”.
Jasmine Vigliotti he stated that “from 1958 to today, BEl has invested over 270 billion euros in Italyplaying a fundamental role in promoting the economic development of the country and in enhancing the growth and competitiveness of businesses. Only by combining public and private resources can we successfully face future challenges”.
For Mark Taisch “it’s the market, today, to request the ecological transition of companies: it must be clear. They are the consumers. Not all businesses have understood this, especially in the B2B context, where there is no direct relationship with the consumers in question. This is why I am convinced that companies should be supported on the path towards full sustainabilityboth with incentives for digitalization – which, as is known, represents a powerful enabler of the ecological transition – and by consolidating synergies such as MICS, which put companies in contact with the most up-to-date projects in this area. A new business culture is essential for growth. The dialogue between universities and the productive world is an essential element of this new and necessary culture”.
The works have been closed with a deepening dedicated to the theme “Accelerating the digitalisation of SMEs to exploit the opportunities of Artificial Intelligence” which was discussed Javier EspinozaEU Correspondent, Financial Times, Robert ViolaDirector General for Digital Policies of the European Commission (DG Connect), Anna Mareschi DanieliVice-Chairwoman Acciaierie Bertoli Safau, Member of the Board Gruppo Danieli, Paola NicastroPresident and CEO of Sviluppo Lavoro Italia, and Julian NutsFull Professor of Strategy & Marketing and Vice Rector, Politecnico di Milano, Member of the Committee for the definition of the national strategy on Artificial Intelligence of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers.
Second Viola “The European Union is making a significant innovation effort with the aim of creating a world-class AI infrastructure. We have already invested approximately 8 billion euros in our supercomputing infrastructure, which overall is the largest in the world. And supercomputing is important for developing the most advanced algorithms. We have 3 cars in the top tenLeonardo in Italy and two more in Spain and Finland, and two more on the way, one in Germany, one in France. Now we have opened the next phase that we have called artificial intelligence factories” with which “we intend to give shape to artificial intelligence, placing brains, data, computing power. In this factory we want to place start-ups, more traditional corporate structures, research centers. This is the factory and obviously the factory can also be a little virtual. We have proposed a regulation, approved in record time by the council, the so-called AI Factory Act, and now we will begin to implement it by making more than one and a half billion euros available for this. The member states will do the same. One of the machines that is a candidate to become an artificial intelligence factory, to become much larger, is the Leonardo supercomputer in Bologna, which will be an impressive resource for the Italian ecosystem”.
The “Made in Italy Pre-Summit” was sponsored by GammaDonna and had as main partners Enel, Mics – Made in Italy circolare e sostenibile, SACE and Simest. Official partner is Fincantieri.