“If some interventions are not made on key issues such as energy by the end of the year, the holding of a very important supply chain for Made in Italy is at risk, from which, moreover, positive signals arrive in terms of turnover, volumes and surplus. »: The alarm comes from Ercole Botto Poala, entrepreneur in the textile sector (he is CEO of Reda, one of the most important Italian wool mills) and for some months president of Confindustria Moda. The association that represents the textile-fashion-accessories – a sector of 60 thousand companies, 600 thousand workers and 92 billion euros in 2022 revenues – yesterday launched an appeal to the government to come.
It did so by putting six urgencies on paper (and as many concrete measures): energy, salaries, internationalization, training, tax credits on samples and collections, sustainability and digital. All key areas to keep the supply chain healthy and, at the same time, nourish a sector that, in order to remain the excellence, needs continuous investments. «The requests we make – adds the president of Confindustria Moda – are aimed at concentrating spending on actions capable of guaranteeing a strategic economic return for the whole of Italy. Our districts cover the whole of Italy and, if put in the right conditions, we will be an engine for the inclusive development of the whole country ».
The energy issue is at the top of the list of priorities: “Businesses, especially those upstream of the supply chain – continues Botto Poala – have been arriving for a very difficult year, at the mercy of gas costs that have strong fluctuations even within 24 hours, which makes it impossible to list price lists “. The hope is that of a ceiling on the price of gas: “There is a need for structural intervention, if not at the European level, at least at the Italian level”.
Reducing costs to stimulate the competitiveness of companies is fundamental on several fronts: for example, allowing companies to increase only one the salary of employees with a contribution of 100 euros – similar to the one they were able to issue in 2022, on a voluntary basis – exempt from tax and social security withholdings. Another relief that fashion companies are clamoring for is the tax credit for Research and Development on collections and samples – which presupposes an equalization between technical-scientific research and research applied to new textile and fashion products: “In this way would be recognized that added value which, although intangible, represents the essence of Made in Italy. A strategic weapon for the industry », says Botto Poala.
The issue of competitiveness is fundamental for a sector that over the years has had to suffer the low cost competition of the Asian markets, but has also been able to defend its cornerstones (one above all: quality) and recover ground when the final customers have started asking for products made with an eye to environmental and social impact. This is why Confindustria Moda has included sustainability – together with digital which is often the tool that allows for this green approach: from blockchain to energy recovery systems – in the list of six urgencies to be submitted to the executive who will take office. Specifically, the invitation to the future government is to continue funding the Industry 4.0 and Transition 4.0 projects.