Italy is still at the top of the world when it comes to internationalised engineering companies. This is certified by the Foreign Report 2024 by OICE, the trade association, member of Confindustria, representing Italian engineering, architecture and technical-economic consulting organisations.
The Report underlines that the Made in Italy brand continues to distinguish itself abroad and highlights that OICE member companies have been able to strengthen their international position, with a global turnover amounting to €3.92 billion in 2023, which is expected to reach €4.24 billion by the end of 2024. Of this total, the foreign turnover achieved by Italian companies, equal to 26% in 2023, is expected to grow by 16% this year.
The Report, presented at the Foreign Ministry on 16 October, also shows that in the last ten years, despite global economic and geopolitical challenges, the presence of Italian companies abroad has grown by 142%. Key sectors for this growth include energy, transport and urban planning, where Italian experience and expertise are appreciated worldwide.
In fact, according to the OICE report, more than 30% of Italian companies’ activities abroad are related to projects in the transport sector (32.3%), while energy accounts for 29.5%, followed by construction and urban planning urban planning (15.2%) and other infrastructure (11.2%). The remaining 11.8% of the foreign production value concerns the manufacturing, environmental, agricultural and ICT sectors.
Finally, the international markets where Italian companies are most expanding their presence include Sub-Saharan Africa and North America. In 2023, Sub-Saharan Africa accounted for 18% of foreign production, while North America accounted for 16%. These are two regional markets that provide growing opportunities, especially for projects related to sustainable infrastructure and energy.
Engineering and architecture, the two sectors in which Italy is growing
- Italy ranks 4th in the world for number of internationalised companies
- Italy’s presence in Africa: it ranks 2nd among European countries
- Italy’s presence in the Middle East: it ranks 3rd among European countries
- Private sector customers in 2024: 48% of the total value of foreign production of Italian companies
- Female presence in Italian engineering and consulting companies in 2024: an 11.4% increase compared to 2023
