The Monitor of the industrial districts of the Triveneto updated to March 2013 has been published by the Intesa Sanpaolo Study and Research Service on behalf of Cassa di Risparmio del Veneto, Carive, CariFvg and Btb. The study monitors the trend of the districts present in Veneto, Friuli Venezia Giulia and Trentino Alto Adige. In the first quarter of 2013, exports from the Triveneto districts returned to growth, recording a tendential increase of 2,1%, in line with the national average. Once again, exports from Friuli Venezia Giulia suffered, which have been declining for 6 consecutive quarters (-4,2%). The performance of the Veneto and Trentino Alto Adige districts was better, which in the first three months of the year recorded a trend increase of 3,3% and 8% respectively. The good results of the districts of Veneto and Trentino Alto Adige acquire even more value if one considers that, again in the first quarter of 2013, the exports of the Italian manufacturing industry as a whole suffered a reduction of 0,8% (-1,1 ,XNUMX% the Triveneto manufacturing).
France and Germany did even worse, showing a downward trend in the export of manufactured goods equal to -2,2% and -3,8% respectively. New confirmations therefore emerge of the competitiveness and vitality of the Triveneto districts. A possible explanation for the improved recent performance of the Italian and Triveneto industrial districts compared to the entire manufacturing industry can be sought in the better competitive positioning of the district firms, which are more active in terms of innovation, internationalization and marketing. In particular, the districts that were able to make the most of the opportunities for growth present on the new markets performed particularly well, where the overall district export of the Triveneto in the first three months of 2013 recorded a trend increase of 5,4 %. Conversely, for the fourth consecutive quarter, sales aimed at mature markets remained largely unchanged at the levels of the corresponding period of the previous year. The districts of the Veneto The new markets and, in particular, Russia and the United Arab Emirates have pushed the exports of the Veneto districts which in the first quarter recorded a growth of 3,3%. Sales to the United States also continued to grow (+14,4% in the first quarter of 2013, after +12,5% in 2012) which confirmed themselves as the main growth engine of the Veneto districts.
Difficulties were instead encountered in Europe, where the Veneto districts also experienced declines in sales in Germany (-2%) and France (-1,8%). Of the 23 Veneto districts monitored, 16 closed the first three months of the year in positive territory. 5 districts stand out for their positive performance, which have experienced double-digit growth: they are Verona thermomechanics, which comes from a stagnant 2012, Treviso household appliances, Veronese wines, Conegliano-Valdobbiadene prosecco wine, art furniture from Bassano.
Good growth rate also for other important Veneto districts, such as the tannery of Arzignano and the goldsmith's of Vicenza, and for smaller districts such as the meats of Verona, the Bovolone style furniture and the artistic ceramics of Bassano del Grappa. There was also slight growth in textiles and clothing from Schio-Thiene-Valdagno, footwear from the Brenta Riviera and marble and granite from Valpolicella. Some important districts of the region are in more difficulty, such as the sports footwear of Montebelluna and the textile and clothing of Treviso, which, together with the Veronese footwear, came from an already negative 2012. Among the districts, the greatest signs of weakness also emerged for the instrumental mechanics of Vicenza which, after a stagnant 2012, closed the first quarter in negative territory.
The districts of Trentino Alto Adige In the first quarter of 2013, the districts of Trentino Alto Adige maintained a good growth rate, reporting a trend increase in exports of 8% and far better than the Italian average (still at + 2,2%). The region was rewarded by its agro-food vocation, as well as by the relative stability of its two districts of the house system, the wood-furniture of Alto Adige (+3,8% the trend variation) and the porphyry of Val di Cembra (+1,5 .XNUMX%).
Among the districts of the region, the one of the apples of Alto Adige stood out in particular, which in the first quarter of 2013 experienced an increase of 10,5% compared to the corresponding period of the previous year, thanks to the excellent results achieved in its two major commercial outlets, Germany and Spain, as well as in Libya and Sweden. The red wines and bubbles of Trento also did very well (+8,9% trend driven by the United States) and the apples of Trentino (+13,2%) which recorded a leap in Germany, Spain and Algeria.
The districts of Friuli Venezia Giulia The major criticalities are present in the districts of Friuli Venezia Giulia. The first quarter of 2013 opened with a new decline (the sixth consecutive) for exports from the districts of Friuli Venezia Giulia (-4,2%). The good results achieved in the United States and in some emerging markets, such as the United Arab Emirates, Vietnam, Turkey and India were not sufficient to compensate for the setbacks suffered in China, Germany, France and Brazil.
The three districts already in difficulty last year continued to suffer from reductions in sales on foreign markets: chairs and tables in Manzano, components and thermo-electromechanics in Friuli and furniture in Pordenone. To these were added the wines of Friuli. The other three districts fared better, managing to obtain good performances on the European markets and, in particular, in Germany: San Daniele ham confirmed the levels of the previous year, while household appliances in Pordenone and knives and scissors in Maniago recorded an increase in exported values of 24% and 7,7% respectively.
New acceleration of the authorized hours of CIG
Reading the economic situation can be completed by analyzing the data on social safety nets which also take into account the difficulties encountered on the internal market. As expected, a negative picture emerges, with the authorized hours of CIG which rose to 16,7 million, from 11,6 million in the previous year, returning close to the all-time high reached in 2010. All components of the fund recorded an increase. In particular, the figure of the extraordinary CIG stands out (+37,2% the trend variation), activated due to situations of structural crisis of the companies, which reached 7,6 million, just under half of the total number of hours authorised. An important leap also affected the CIG by way of derogation (+75,8%) which is used above all by small and very small businesses not covered by the ordinary CIG. Also important is the increase in the ordinary CIG (+30%), required by companies in the phases of cyclical retreat. Expectations for the second half of the year The second half of 2013 will also be uphill for the Italian and Triveneto economies, especially on the domestic market and in Europe.
The prospects for overcoming the recessionary phase in the short term mainly depend on the ability of our companies to make the most of the growth opportunities present on international markets and, in particular, outside the euro area. In this context, new investments will be needed, which favor a further repositioning of our exports towards markets with greater potential, to be increasingly served with our own local structures, well-known brands, new and differentiated products.
