Invest In Italy

With a GDP of over € 1.7 trillion and a population of over 60 million, Italy is the world’s 9th largest economy. Italy is one of only five countries in the world whose manufactured products have an export trade surplus (over € 47 mln).

Italy’s control over public finance has been among the most solid in the Eurozone in the last 7 years. Since 2012 the deficit has been consistently below the 3% ceiling, and Italy had the highest primary surplus on average (1.1%) during the 2009-2016 period.

Italy is also one of the world’s most iconic destinations, combining an unmatched cultural heritage and striking sceneries with one of Europe’s top performing and most diversified economy. Located at the center of the Mediterranean Sea and with 40 major ports and 42 airports, Italy is a strategic gateway for trade between Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East.

The export of goods and services continues to provide a decisive and positive contribution to the fate of the Italian economy: in the first half of 2018, in fact, it contributed to the formation of GDP by over 31%. And the forecasts are for a further increase in 2019 up to 32%.

Italy is the 2nd largest manufacturer in Europe; 5th top manufacturer in the world; 9th largest exporter worldwide, with almost € 500 billion of export annually (goods and services). Also, Italy is the first European producer of pharmaceutical goods. 

• Over 50,000 employees (200,000 estimated for the entire supply chain)
  € 15.2 billion of turnover produced
  € 8.5 billion from exports
• Italian exports in the world for aircraft, spacecraft and related devices exceeded € 5.4 billion
• The sector is characterized by high labor productivity and capital intensity, long investment cycles and high levels of research and development spending, almost € 1.5 billion, which make this sector second in the Italian market in this field.

Source:  AIAD (2015 data)

The Italian Agrifood sector represents an excellence that stands out in terms of quality, food safety, technological innovation, sustainability, biodiversity and respect for tradition. Italy is, in fact, a Country characterized by great territorial and climatic differences that have been shaped in cultures, stories and traditions, exceptionally varied and unique. These characteristics have led to the formation of a large number of small companies, very often family-owned, which, faced with the impossibility of competing on foreign markets in terms of price reduction, have focused on enhancing the uniqueness of their products.

• Wide range of high-quality products and high safety standards
• Products certified on the first position of international markets
• Close links with the territory and with the Italian cultural heritage

• with a turnover of about € 52 billion in 2016 Italy represents the third main producer of chemicals in Europe. Almost 3 thousand companies are active in the sector employing about 108 thousand people. Being a country with a strong industrial basis, Italy represents a large market for chemicals accounting for about € 59 billion.
• Italy is the leading producer of pharmaceuticals in the European Union. With € 31.2 billion the value of our production exceeds that of Germany and the other major EU countries
• From 2007 to 2017 pharma export in Italy has grown (+107%) more than all big Eu countries and more than big European countries’ average

Italy is historically one of the largest producers of active ingredients in the world (and accounts for 11% of total production). The Italian pharmaceutical raw materials industry is mainly concentrated on the production of active ingredients, which represent about 85% of total turnover.

A significant portion of the production of the sector is destined for export and in particular one of the destination countries that absorbs a greater share of exports is North America, reflecting the fact that the Italian active ingredients industry has consolidated over time a position of qualified supplier for the most demanding markets in terms of product quality, thanks to its strengths that guarantee its reliability.

• with a turnover of about € 52 billion in 2016 Italy represents the third main producer of chemicals in Europe. Almost 3 thousand companies are active in the sector employing about 108 thousand people. Being a country with a strong industrial basis, Italy represents a large market for chemicals accounting for about € 59 billion.
• Italy is the leading producer of pharmaceuticals in the European Union. With € 31.2 billion the value of our production exceeds that of Germany and the other major EU countries
• From 2007 to 2017 pharma export in Italy has grown (+107%) more than all big Eu countries and more than big European countries’ average

Green Tech is the application of one or more of environmental science, green chemistry, environmental monitoring and electronic devices to monitor, model and conserve the natural environment and resources, and to curb the negative impacts of human involvement.

The term is also used to describe sustainable energy generation technologies such as photovoltaics, wind turbines, bioreactors, etc. Sustainable development is the core of environmental technologies.

• Bionergy installations increased by 3.3% in 2016
• Italy is one of the most eco-efficient producers in Europe, producing 101 tons of CO2 for every million euros produced vs. 143 tons for Germany and 113 tons for the UK
• 2nd producer of solar energy in Europe
• 4th producer of hydroelectric energy in Europe

This is why the segments associated with the main Digital Enablers are growing in double digits, and will drive and drive the entire market, starting with software and services.

See more on Point of View – ICT

• 2th in the World for competitiveness in the Electronic components sectors (Source:  The Ranking of competitiveness of the Trade Performance Index 2016)
• Italy has some of the world’s best engineering universities. Indeed, engineering is the 2nd highest course for enrolment in the country – 225,619 currently studying an engineering discipline  (Source: Ministry of Education)

Located at the center of the Mediterranean Sea and with 40 major ports and 42 airports, Italy is a strategic gateway for trade between Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East.

Strategic Plan of the Italian Ministry of Infrastructures and Transport has developed 4 strategies to improve connectivity by:

• prioritizing the most useful works
• betting on intermodality to encourage the modal shift
• improving the technological dimension of infrastructures and investing in a solid maintenance program
• planning and financing a relevant investment plan in the urban areas

The New Public Procurement Legislation and Concession Contracts Code has transposed the public procurement and concessions European Directives. It regulates the planning, programming and designing activities, key stages for the tender station, the procedures for the award of contracts, identifying common basic principles for all types of contract to be followed,  such as transparency, cost efficiency, effectiveness, correctness, timing, and free competition.

A more efficient National Port System: the 58 main Italian Ports have now been organized into 15 new Port System Authorities, coordinated by the National Coordination Conference established at the Ministry of Infrastructures and Transport.

• Four out of nine European Core Network Corridors (TEN-T)  run across Italy
• Capillary railway network, most of which (approximately 60%)  is part of strategic European corridors (TEN-T CNC)
• 14 maritime ports are listed within priority nodes at European level (Core Network); no infrastructural capacity constraints to limit maritime traffic flows (in particular for transshipment container traffic)
• 10 airports are listed within priority hubs at European level  (Core Network).

• 1st Country by number of Advanced Therapy products authorized by the EU (3 out of 5)
• Worldwide medtech sales are forecast to grow at an annual compound growth rate of 5.1 percent, reaching US$521.9 billion by 2022.

Thanks to the progress made in the fields of design, construction and techniques, the Italian industry has conquered a world-leading position: exports represent a characteristic vocation of the various sectors.

The Italian initiatives also aim to broaden the geographical range of interventions, in a logic of economics of scale and dissemination of acquired experiences, with the inclusion of targeted initiatives also in “minor” markets not yet touched by promotional activities. At the same time, the sectors to be promoted are extended to present not only instrumental mechanics but Italian technology as a whole.

• with 5,150 companies, 191,500 employees and a turnover that, in 2017, amounted to 46.6 billion euro (+ 9.7% compared to 2016), the Italian industry exports 68% of production across the border.
• the made in Italy of the sector is appreciated by users all over the world for the very high technological standards and the high personalization of the offer.

The portal offers diversified investment opportunities, divided into two macro-categories: on the one hand properties ready for an already defined enhancement, such as historic buildings suitable to be transformed into prestigious offices or “charming” hotels; on the other, real estate development operations – for example, properties to be transformed or areas to be built – whose valorisation can be directed towards the most adequate and sustainable solutions, by comparison with the market of potential users and investors.

• the Italian Real Estate market continues its relaunch, thanks to a return of direct investments, a pillar of family allocation
• foreign investors continue to have a central role, with an incidence on transactions of 70%, equal to 7.6 billion Euros in investments in 2017.
• in 2017 investments have increased by 20% compared to the previous year, while the share of Italian investments over the European total – according to the estimates – amounts to 3.8% (against the 3.6% in 2016).

With a GDP of over € 1.7 trillion and a population of over 60 million, Italy is the world’s 9th largest economy. Italy is one of only five countries in the world whose manufactured products have an export trade surplus (over € 47 mln).

Italy’s control over public finance has been among the most solid in the Eurozone in the last 7 years. Since 2012 the deficit has been consistently below the 3% ceiling, and Italy had the highest primary surplus on average (1.1%) during the 2009-2016 period.

Italy is also one of the world’s most iconic destinations, combining an unmatched cultural heritage and striking sceneries with one of Europe’s top performing and most diversified economy. Located at the center of the Mediterranean Sea and with 40 major ports and 42 airports, Italy is a strategic gateway for trade between Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East. 

The export of goods and services continues to provide a decisive and positive contribution to the fate of the Italian economy: in the first half of 2018, in fact, it contributed to the formation of GDP by over 31%. And the forecasts are for a further increase in 2019 up to 32%.

Italy is the 2nd largest manufacturer in Europe; 5th top manufacturer in the world; 9th largest exporter worldwide, with almost € 500 billion of export annually (goods and services). Also, Italy is the first European producer of pharmaceutical goods. 

 Sources: 1. ITA elaborations on ISTAT data, 2. Fondazione Edison on data from the WTO and UNCTAD/WTO Nation Brands Ranking; 4. Farminustria; 5. Blumine on data UN-Comtrade

Interested in doing business in Italy? Download the guide below, and feel free to contact us for more information!

Interested in the manufacturing sector in Italy? Download the guide below, and feel free to contact us for more information!