Realism, courage, innovation and corporate culture. These are the key words that marked the opening of the trade fair year 2009/2010, when the manufacturing industries were able to compare results with the 2009 edition from the Fiera Milano Fondazione’s Annual Report.
With reference to the happy metaphor of the Italian economy which just like a “hornet” is flying high, despite defying aerodynamic laws, the report has documented the Italian economic system as it grapples with the storm of the recession. The market survey in fact, conducted by Area Studi, on the basis of over 85 000 periodic surveys regards exhibitors and visitors present at the trade events at Fiera Milano regards Made in Italy - Furnishings, Fashion, Tool Engineering and Tourism (and in so doing creating the Fondazione Fiera Milano’s database - Osservatorio Economico Territoriale).
The big picture that emerges is of a general dip in self-confidence regards current market trends and that of the individual companies, but an amazing stronghold on commitment to innovation, despite the decrease in resources due to lower turnover, as well as the first signs of faith in recovery. Important results for a system that is over 80% small and micro enterprises, many family-owned, which reap their strength from the local network, from investment on quality, to the ability to manage generational handovers, and confront the market place.
Giuseppe Morandini, president of Piccola Impresa Confindustria (a trade union association for SME’s) underlines that the small companies, despite feeling the pain, have known how to hang on, but that they mustn’t be abandoned now. “Small companies believe in the country, in recovery, they’re Italy’s fans, but they need an Italy that’s their fan, concretely. We need policies that stimulate consumption and demand, programmed actions, an alleviation on salary on–costs”. And not only.
For the manager of a small company, demand incentives come via a correct use of state incentives, supporting sectors that are down in terms of GDP. Certainly not a welfare policy, but a forward-looking, “responsible” industrial policy. The companies on their part need to set themselves realistic goals, gauging the settling of the marketplace.
The report confirms the efficiency of the Italian local network, which permits product differentiation, increased flexibility, and manufacturing and commercial out-sourcing. Alberto Meomartini, president of Assolombarda (association of industrial and tertiary sector companies in and around Milan), identifies territorial identity, the ability to network, together with “responsibility” as the key factors to turning things around.
“In using a systems approach at a territorial level, in keeping our feet firmly on ‘our’ ground, there is the chance, once we get over the recession, of being even better than before.
A warning from all present at the round table: if, to date, a systems approach by SME’s has "got us by", the upcoming year will be truly decisive. And so those companies have got to find stability and new development opportunities both in terms of government support and in adequate territorial policies.
