Directing the modernisation of production structures towards digitalisation and environmental sustainability, thanks also to the resources made available to the Foreign Ministry under the NRRP (amounting to EUR 1.2 billion) and for enhancing the entrepreneurship of young people, women and companies in southern Italy; promoting innovation and supporting start-ups on international markets; unlocking the potential of southern Italy with effective strategies and tools and a systemic approach: these are some of the lines of action outlined by Minister Di Maio at the opening of the work of the Steering Committee for Business Internationalisation that met yesterday at the Foreign Ministry in hybrid mode.
The Steering Committee, which is co-chaired by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and the Minister of Economic Development, defines every year the strategic guidelines and policy actions for the promotion abroad and internationalisation of Italian businesses.
The meeting was also attended by the Minister for Economic Development Giancarlo Giorgetti, the Minister of Economy and Finance Daniele Franco, the Minister for Tourism Massimo Garavaglia, the Minister for Technological Innovation and Digital Transition Vittorio Colao, the Minister for Universities and Research Maria Cristina Messa, the Minister for the South and Territorial Cohesion Mara Carfagna, Vice Minister Teresa Bellanova, Deputy Minister Manlio Di Stefano, the Undersecretary for Ecological Transition Vannia Gava and President of the Conference of Regions Massimiliano Fedriga, as well as the representatives of numerous other institutions and associations involved in supporting the internationalisation processes of Italian businesses.
“Italian exports in the first nine months of the year – totalling almost €377 billion – not only increased by more than 20%, compared to the same period of 2020, but even exceeded the levels recorded in 2019 [€356 billion period over period], a record year for our exports. We are proud of these results, which testify to the extraordinary vitality of our entrepreneurial fabric and of the entire Italian Production System. It is also a particularly significant result for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, following the taking on of new competences in foreign trade and business internationalisation inherited from the Ministry for Economic Development.
“On the strength of the results obtained, we are aiming to make the Pact for Export policies permanent and structural in nature, also thanks to an allocation of 1.5 billion euro per year in revolving funds and 150 million euro in non-repayable funds, provided by the Budget Law over the next five years; and thanks to an approach, inaugurated with the Pact for Export, based on the definition and improvement of interventions that provide for a partnership between the public and the private sectors”.
In this regard, Deputy Minister Manlio Di Stefano emphasised the extensive preliminary consultation process by the Foreign Ministry in preparation of yesterday’s meeting, involving 14 sectoral working groups and no less than 158 entities and trade associations, which had been invited to submit useful inputs for the conclusive Steering Committee report and suggestions for the forthcoming activities for promoting “Made in Italy” brand products.
