“The current context of multiple crises puts a strain on the resistance of our production system”. Giorgio Marsiaj, president of the Industrialists Union, talks about how the city economy is reacting.
The industry has responded well to the Covid crisis, but then the increase in the costs of raw materials and energy seems to be blocking the recovery. What is going on?
«The outbreak of the conflict in Ukraine occurred at a time of fragility for our economy, already in difficulty due to the rise in energy and raw materials prices. Concerns are strong, 2022 promises to be a critical year. The room for maneuver for support interventions is inevitably reduced after the exceptional allocations to overcome the emergency. Our companies have proved to be a model of resilience and responsiveness during the crisis but now they are facing new obstacles and new uncertainties. It is important to keep the tiller steady, without giving in to mistrust, continuing to believe that even this emergency can be overcome thanks to the solidity of the entrepreneurial fabric ».
Who risks the most?
«Those who are most exposed to the difficulties of this moment are at greater risk. I am thinking of those who have not yet recovered from the pandemic crisis or those who work in particularly energy-intensive sectors, such as foundries for example. Finally, even very small companies are less solid: dimensional growth and managerialization are essential to improve their performance, also in view of a delicate moment such as the generational change “.
What are the strengths of the Turin industrial system?
«Our companies possess extraordinary know-how and a great innovative spirit: two characteristics that for centuries have made us visionary inventors and entrepreneurs, but capable of concreteness and resistance. Turin has proven to be a technological excellence. Our vocation is applied research to industry, especially in sectors such as aerospace and new mobility ».
How is the transition from mobility to electric being tackled?
“It can be an extraordinary opportunity. For this to happen, however, companies need to be supported and guided. At the Italian level, it is estimated that 73,000 jobs today depend on the production of internal combustion engines and that, therefore, by 2040 they will be highly at risk. Turin will play a leading role, also thanks to the global competence center for electrification, announced by Stellantis, which will make use of the excellent engineering skills present in our territory. The projects for Mirafiori on new businesses relating to the circular economy are also interesting and logistics can also play a primary role for us ».
Are export and know-how still the recipes to compete in the world?
«I am convinced so, even if the world is changing and we must be ready to evolve with it. The pandemic and the current conflict require a rethinking of many of the paradigms we are used to: from value chains, to reshoring, to the energy issue. Without a doubt, we must learn to be flexible, diversify a lot, simplify processes, explore new markets and sectors, improve the traceability of components and the management of information flows in order to remain competitive ».
How is the relationship between public and private in the management of NRP funds?
«A virtuous collaboration between public and private is fundamental for the development of a territory, now more than ever. The path for defining the Pnrr calls is at the beginning, but we must all be ready. Only from a real and concrete partnership relationship can a shared plan for the future and growth of our territory be born. We also saw this during the meeting with the top management of Stellantis: all the participants underlined the need to work together for a shared goal. Companies are ready to play their role ».