In this moment of clouds and uncertainty – between pandemics, war, energy crisis, inflation and the specter of recession – a note of optimism for Italian companies comes from the export numbers, which are confirmed as a solid lever for the development of our country. The numbers are provided by Carlo Ferro, president of the Ice Agency, at the end of the first day of the Made in Italy Summit organized by Sole 24 Ore and Financial Times, in collaboration with Sky TG24, followed yesterday by 11 thousand users connected in streaming.
After the record of 2021, when 516 billion exports were reached (+ 18.2% on 2020 and + 7.5% on 2019), the growth trend is confirmed in 2022. “Due to the high inflation it is necessary to take into account the difference between real values and nominal values, but the trend is evident and affects all sectors of manufacturing,” explains Ferro. In the first seven months of the year, Istat recorded a further increase of 21%.
Companies looking for new strategies
But in this complex scenario, companies need new tools and new strategies to face a crisis that, notes the vice president of Ispi, Paolo Magri, seems to take us back to the past: to the 70s of the crisis and the 80s of inflation outside. check. All the interventions that took place during the Summit underlined the ability of Italian companies to continue not only to grow despite the current difficulties, but also to invest. This was recognized by the director of the Financial Times, Roula Khalaf, who also did not hide some doubts and fears about the financial stability of our country. This was reiterated by the director of Sole 24 Ore Fabio Tamburini and Sky Tg24 Giuseppe De Bellis, introducing the proceedings after the institutional greetings of the managing director of the 24 Ore Group, Mirja Cartia d’Asero, the CEO of FT Group John Ridding and CEO of Sky Italia Andrea Duilio. «In this context of uncertainty, the rapidity of change combined with resilience in the face of difficulties is fundamental – said d’Asero -. Two characteristics that Italian companies have already implemented in the past during various crisis situations. But you cannot live in the exceptional nature of the moment and implement change only to overcome emergencies. The real leap in quality is achieved when this ability is lowered into daily activity and in a medium-long term vision, focusing on a change in the name of digital innovation and sustainability “.
Last year, only three countries did better than Italy in terms of export growth: China, India and South Korea. Among the so-called “mature” economies, the Italian one was the most dynamic on the export front and this year it sails towards 600 billion euros in exports, thanks also to the flexibility and speed with which it has been able to find new outlet and supply markets to replace those “closed” by the pandemic and the war. The theme of market diversification is decisive, said Regina Corradini D’Arienzo, managing director of Simest -. This is not new, but in the current context it is essential, as are the issues of company dimension and innovation ».
The tools to support exports
Institutions and the financial system can do a lot to support companies in this context, as demonstrated by the actions of Simest itself (through, for example, the revolving fund 394 in favor of exports) and of Ice, which in the last two years has fielded 20 initiatives in favor of internationalization. There are also tools such as fairs, as recalled by the president of the Fiera Milano Foundation Enrico Pazzali, where approximately 50% of Made in Italy exports are generated every year. And all the promotion and training activities that contribute to the protection of an original made in Italy, to counteract the harmful phenomenon of “Italian sounding” which, the director general of the Excise, Customs and Monopoly Agency Marcello Minenna specified, every a year costs our country about 100 billion.