THEPublic meeting of the Industrial Union of Turin, held today, Monday 28 October, marked the beginning of a new chapter under the leadership of Marco Gay, who took over from Giorgio Marsiaj last July. This annual meeting brought together entrepreneurs and representatives of local institutions, with the aim of examining the socioeconomic situation at both local and national levels.
The event, organized in the conference center of the Turin Confindustria association, saw the participation of Antonio Tajani (Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation), Gilberto Pichetto Fratin (Environment and Energy Security) and, via video link, Adolfo Urso (Business and Made in Italy). For local institutions, the mayor of Turin, Stefano Lo Russo, and the governor of Piedmont, Alberto Cirio, were present. Emanuele Orsini, national president of Confindustria, concluded the session by emphasizing the challenges that Italian industry must face in a constantly evolving European context.
Marco Gay's report
“We are at a crucial moment for our city and our country. We must face the challenges that await us with determination and creativity,” Gay began, underlining the importance of a proactive approach in the current economic context. “We have the duty to find ourselves as a community. To feel, together, the gravity and importance of the moment to strengthen our convictions and bring out our best energies. Let's do it starting from our places, our companies and our people. Let's start from Torino, from our desire for transformation and improvement with the aim of becoming a solid, courageous and responsible point of reference”.
The potential of Turin
One of the highlights of his speech was the emphasis on the importance of collaboration between university, Research e industry. “There is no innovation without constant dialogue. We must open the doors of our companies and universities to the comparison and sharing of ideas,” he said, highlighting the crucial role that young talents and startups can have in renewing the economic fabric of Turin.
Gay also talked about the Turin's potential as a crossroads of Italy in Europe. “We need to make ourselves visible, not only locally, but also internationally. Our city has all it takes to become a point of reference in the European panorama,” he said, inviting companies to invest in a future of interconnectivity and accessibility. He referred to the need for modern and sustainable infrastructure, stating that “mobility is a competitive factor and we cannot afford to be left behind.”
Gay on Industrial Intelligence and Young Talents
The concept of "industrial intelligence” was further explored during the meeting, with a round table that saw the participation of experts in the sector. Gay defined industrial intelligence as the essential resource to determine a change of pace in every productive area, drawing attention to the new city excellences, from aerospace to biomedical, from digital to mechatronics. He insisted: “We must grow in the sectors with the highest added value and the highest content of creativity and technology. Grow in the size of companies. Grow in companies capable of projecting themselves internationally, that is, of exporting, even in services”.
There was no lack of emphasis on the demographic crisis and onimportance of attracting young talent. “Without young people, we will have no future. We must invest in training and social inclusion policies,” he stressed, highlighting how change cannot exist without a collective commitment and a shared vision.
Gay: “Not just cars, but we are also focusing on other things”
In an analysis of the current situation, Gay also addressed the difficulties of the automotive industry, a crucial sector for the territory: “The crisis in the automotive sector is a fact. It is not just an Italian problem, but here it affects an entire supply chain more and more deeply. Precisely for this reason, a European industrial policy on the sector is urgently needed, a mobility act, which finds its research, engineering and production centre here with us, without ifs and buts! We cannot think of useful development policies that do not put Italian and European production and industry at the centre, starting from common objectives but with one watchword: technological neutrality”.
And he added: “Projecting Turin into the future does not mean abandoning the car. But putting together our enormous capital of knowledge in the sector with technological innovation in which we still can and know how to say a lot.” He insisted on the importance of growing in the sectors with the highest added value and of promoting companies capable of exporting, even in services.
Finally, Gay closed his speech with a call for unity and determination. “Together we can accelerate and catalyze all the best energies of the city. We must not be afraid to face difficulties, but face them with awareness and courage,” he exclaimed, urging everyone to implement the necessary levers to build a prosperous future.
