SUCCESSFUL COMPANIES: RESILIENCE, INNOVATION AND SUSTAINABILITY FOR ENTREPRENEURIAL EXCELLENCE AND THE RELAUNCHING OF GROWTH IN ITALY

It was the concluding event of the second “Successful Companies” program of Intesa Sanpaolo that promotes entrepreneurial excellence as a model for relaunching the Italian economy.

During the forum, Valerio De Molli (Managing Partner and CEO of The European House – Ambrosetti) presented and discussed together with Gregorio De Felice (Chief Economist and Head of Research for Intesa Sanpaolo) the results of the position paper “How to be a winner in the post-COVID-19 scenario and guarantee entrepreneurial excellence” prepared by The European House – Ambrosetti.

The strategic study of entrepreneurial excellence set the following goals:

• Analyze the impact of the crisis triggered by the COVID-19 public health emergency.
• Examine the current status of Italian small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
• Identify the key strategic directions for the growth of SMEs in the new scenarios for the future.

Six key messages emerged from the analysis:

1. 1. The crisis triggered by the COVID-19 public health emergency created an unprecedented economic shock that risks seeing Italy’s GDP in 2020 return to 1999 levels. In 2021, there will be a shortfall in GDP of between a minimum of €86 billion and a maximum of €170 billion compared with 2019.
   2. SMEs are a fundamental asset for the nation’s competitiveness, with a growth rate higher than the Italian average over the last six years.
   3. Investment, earnings and productivity grow as company size increases and urgent action is required to promote a growth in the size of Italian businesses.
   4. Italian manufacturing SMEs contribute 7% of total European manufacturing added value and, among the EU “Big-5” countries, Italy is in 1st place for the share of SMEs in total exports (47% vs. 19% in Germany and 18% in France).
   5. Over the last six years, the 144 SMEs in the Intesa Sanpaolo “Imprese Vincenti 2020” (Successful Companies 2020) program have registered economic, employment, earnings and productivity performances above other SMEs and the total of Italian companies, while also demonstrating greater resilience during the COVID-19 crisis.
   6. Analysis of the 144 “Successful Companies” confirms six key directions for the growth of Italian SMEs: internationalization, orientation towards change, R&D and innovation, sustainability, human capital and ties to the local area.

The event included the involvement in two special round tables of a number of SMEs who are leaders in the “Imprese Vincenti” program, together with representatives from major companies who have made these values their business model: Nicolas Bargi (Founder and CEO, Save the Duck), Francesca Benelli (President, Il Bettolino Cooperativa Sociale), Silvia Candiani (CEO Microsoft Italia), Antonio Capaldo (Chairman, Feudi di San Gregorio), Roberto Crippa (Executive Vice President, Technoprobe), Giovanni Dal Lago (Vice President and CEO, Officina Stellare), Piero Di Lorenzo (President and CEO, IRBM), Enrico Loccioni (President, Loccioni), Silvia Merlo (CEO, Merlo Group) and Massimo Pavin (President and CEO, Sirmax).

Goal: to promote discussion on the prospects and key issues to be faced in developing and promoting Italy’s entrepreneurial system, within a context that pushes towards a re-examination of priorities and approach to a constantly-evolving market.

The forum was concluded by Stefano Barrese, Head of the Banca dei Territori Division of Intesa Sanpaolo.

The event was moderated by Sebastiano Barisoni, Vice Director of Radio 24 – Il Sole 24 Ore.

Click here to follow the live streaming of the concluding event of “Imprese Vincenti 2020” starting at 5 pm on
Friday, November 27, 2020.

Presentation by Valerio De Molli

Position Paper

Conceptual Map