Despite the fluctuating performance during the year, 2023 was a positive year for i Piedmont industrial districts which they recorded exports for 13 billion euros and they managed to grow more than the average of Italian districts. This is what emerges from the Monitor of the Districts of Piedmont, edited by the research department of Intesa San Paolo.
Piedmontese districts: exports are growing
In detail, exports in 2023 came close to 13 billion euros, in del% increase 4,3 at current prices compared to the previous year for a equivalent to an additional 533 million euros.
Wanting to summarize what happened, after the double-digit growth (+11,8%) recorded in the first half, in the second the Piedmont districts recorded +3,5%, while the third quarter was the protagonist of the first contraction after 10 consecutive quarters of growth (-0,5%). In the last three months of the year, exports began to grow again, closing 2024 with a nice quarterly +3,3%.
Overall, the Piedmontese districts managed to perform more than the average of Italian districts, which remained substantially stable in 2023 (-0,1%), thanks to its production specialization and strong competitive capacity, which made it possible to mitigate the effects of the cooling of world trade", explains the Intesa Sanpaolo monitor.
Piedmontese districts: fashion and mechanics drive growth
The export data for 2023 highlight a positive trend in the Piedmontese districts for all sectors of specialization: those of the fashion system which achieved the most intense growth (+7,6%), followed by the districts of mechanics (+4,5%) and of'agri-food (+ 2,1%).
From the analysis for each district, one emerges positive picture for 9 out of 12 districts. The exceptions are the small household district of Omegna, the taps, the valve manufacturing of Cusio-Valsesia and the wines of Langhe, Roero and Monferrato. However, they stood out positively for growth of more than 20%. Vercelli rice (+26,1%), the Textile Machinery of Biella (+21,8%) and the Machine Tools and Industrial Robots of Turin (+20,1%).
Export: Piedmont districts conquer new markets
As regards the countries of destination, "the trend of Piedmontese district exports to the new markets (+8,3%), driven by China, Mexico, Hong Kong, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and India” reads the report. The performance of the business was also positive'export to mature markets, albeit with less intense growth (+2,4%), with Ireland, the United Kingdom and France in the lead. Considering the main commercial outlets for Piedmontese district exports, the most intense export contractions (above 15 million euros) concerned Russia, the United States and Austria.
Hi-tech pole boom
Furthermore, it emerges from the analysis carried out by experts from the Intesa Sanpaolo research department the excellent 2023 of the Piedmontese technological centers who closed the year with exports increasing by 26,6% to 629 million euros.
Foreign sales of Turin ICT hub they reached 942 million euros in 2023, an increase of 74 million euros compared to the previous year (+8,5%). Exports of Aerospace pole of Piedmont they exceeded 2 billion euros, an increase of 554 million euros (+37%) (the result of a fluctuating trend in the quarters, typical of the sector which thrives on large orders).
Perusin (Intesa Sanpaolo): “2023 exports confirm the competitive capacity of the Piedmontese districts”
“The export trend in 2023 confirms the great competitive ability of the Piedmont districts, a result that is anything but obvious given the context of uncertainty. Two of these, according to the annual report of the industrial districts of the Intesa Sanpaolo Research Department, are even among the best performing in Italy in terms of growth, profitability and capitalisation: Orafo di Valenza, in first place in the ranking, and Tessile di Biella in 16th, both an expression of the best know-how of our territory combined with high-end production", he explains Andrea Perusin, regional director of Southern Piedmont and Liguria of Intesa Sanpaolo.
“It is crucial for our companies to have a strategic vision and continue to invest, with attention to digital, green development, innovation and human capital. Intesa Sanpaolo is ready to accompany them with the "Your future is our business" program: 120 billion euros of disbursements until 2026 and interventions structured in particular on Transition 5.0 and energy, international development, digital and cybersecurity, in close correlation with The objectives of the Pnrr, for which we have allocated a total of over 410 billion euros", concludes Perusin.
