Competitiveness doesn't stem solely from investments, technological innovation, or the ability to export. It increasingly depends on the quality of the relationships a company builds with workers, suppliers, institutions, universities, banks, and local communities. This is the picture that emerges from "Cohesion is Competition" report, promoted by the Symbola Foundation, Intesa Sanpaolo, Unioncamere, and the Tagliacarne Study Center, presented in Mantua as part of the Symbola Foundation Summer Seminar.
The numbers tell of a significant transformation of the Italian productive fabric. Over the last five years, The share of companies defined as "cohesive" rose from 37,4% in 2020 to 43,5% in 2025It's not just a quantitative increase: the average number of relationships these companies establish with local economic and social stakeholders is also growing, rising from 1,7 to 2,9. This demonstrates that collaboration is no longer simply a response to emergencies, as was the case during the pandemic, but a true development strategy.
Cohesive companies grow more
The most interesting data concerns economic performance. Companies that invest in relationships show better results than others. For 2026, 33% of cohesive companies expect an increase in turnover compared to the previous year, compared to 20% of non-cohesive companies. The gap is also clear on the employment front: 21% of cohesive companies plan to increase their staff, while the share drops to 13% among other companies.
Cohesion is thus confirmed not as an accessory element of corporate culture, but as a concrete lever for competitiveness. Companies that are most deeply rooted in communities and most open to dialogue are also those that demonstrate greater ability to respond to economic shocks and address ongoing transformations.
Digital innovation and sustainability
Research highlights a strong correlation between cohesion and innovation. In the three-year period 2023-2025, 76% of cohesive companies invested in digital transformation, compared to 49% of non-cohesive companies. The gap in AI adoption is even more marked: 31% of cohesive companies use it, nearly double the 16% of non-cohesive companies.
The same goes for environmental sustainability. 68% of cohesive companies have made green investments in the 2023-2025 period, compared to 41% of non-cohesive companies. This gap remains significant even in the forecasts for the following three years. According to the report, the ability to network facilitates the diffusion of innovations and accelerates transformation processes, allowing companies to share skills, resources, and knowledge.
The value of people
Another distinguishing feature concerns employee relations. Cohesive companies invest more in training and developing human capital. 87% have focused on improving staff skills, compared to 60% of other companies. Greater attention is also paid to work-life balance policies.
A particularly relevant aspect in a country that has to deal with an aging population, the shortage of certain professional figures, and growing international competition to attract talent. In this scenario, organizational well-being, inclusion, and ongoing training become essential tools not only for improving the quality of work but also for strengthening companies' productive capacity.
A question that comes from society
The centrality of cohesion does not only concern the manufacturing sector. According to the Ipsos Doxa survey conducted for the report, 85% of Italians today consider collaboration and social cohesion a fundamental needAmong the main benefits cited by citizens are improved quality of life, greater community safety, and the ability to address collective problems together. In other words, cohesion is increasingly perceived as a factor of well-being and social resilience.
From supply chains to territories: virtuous cases
The report also highlights numerous concrete experiences. From Ferrero, which strengthened the sustainability of its cocoa supply chain through partnerships with the nonprofit sector, to Selle Royal, which transformed production waste into new resources thanks to projects developed with the nonprofit sector.
Other experiences demonstrate the value of Collaboration between companies, universities and training centers to reduce the mismatch between labor supply and demand, as in the case of the Emilian Motor Valley. There are numerous examples of partnerships between businesses and the banking system to support growth and internationalization, as well as regional networks that have helped make entire economic sectors more competitive.
A challenge for the future
The message that emerges from the report is clear: in the contemporary economy competitiveness It does not depend only on the strength of individual companies, but on the quality of the ecosystems of which they are partIn a historical moment marked by digital and environmental transitions, geopolitical tensions, and growing global competition, the ability to build strong relationships increasingly appears to be a strategic resource. Cohesion, in short, is not a cost or a constraint on development, but rather one of the main factors that can support the growth of the Italian economy in the coming years.
