12th Annual Forum of the Leonardo Committee – New Markets for Made in Italy

The 12th Leonardo Committee Forum was held today in the Campidoglio. This annual meeting is dedicated to dialogue between government representatives, entrepreneurs and financers on the state of Made in Italy in the current difficult international economic situation, as well as growth prospects for Italian companies. Participants at the Forum included the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Emma Bonino,

the Minister of Economic Development, Flavio Zanonato, the Chair of the Leonardo Committee, Luisa Todini, the Vice-President of Confindustria, Diana Bracco, the President of the Italian Trade Promotion Agency (ICE), Riccardo M. Monti, the CEO of Intesa Sanpaolo, Enrico Tommaso Cucchiani, and the Chairman of Eni, Giuseppe Recchi.

Participants at the entrepreneurial round table included Massimo Mucchetti, President of the Industry, Trade and Tourism Commission of the Senate of the Republic, Pietro Salini, the CEO of Salini Impregilo, Claudio Sposito, Chairman and CEO of Clessidra Sgr, and Salvatore Torrisi, Chairman and CEO of A.A.T. Oranfresh. This was followed by a testimony by Franco Moscetti, CEO of Amplifon.

The President of CNEL Antonio Marzano and the Vice Minister of Economic Develpment Carlo Calenda, were amongst the personalities that attended the event.

During the meeting the study commissioned by the Leonardo Committee from the Strategic Planning, Research and Overseas Network Office of the Italian Trade Promotion Agency (ICE), in collaboration with Prometeia, was presented. Entitled Beyond BRICS: New markets for Made in Italy, the study analyses internationalisation opportunities for Italian companies. The study identifies 25 emerging markets, which are very different from each other, that offer significant opportunities in various areas of specialisation.

The countries with the highest growth potential for Made in Italy consumer goods are the United Arab Emirates, Chile and Malaysia, followed by Qatar and Saudi Arabia. Topping the ranking for the most attractive markets for investment goods are Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Indonesia, Thailand and Chile, while the countries that offer the best opportunities for Italian construction companies are the Asian markets of Indonesia, Pakistan, Vietnam and Thailand, followed by Mexico.

The study concludes that in order to grasp the opportunities available in these countries Italian companies need to concentrate on specific products and sectors within individual markets. The success of Made in Italy has traditionally stemmed from outstanding achievements, and have been able to take advantage of the common denominator of quality, and also acted as a driving force for other sectors.