After the crisis, the Regions of North-West Italy have been able to reorient themselves better than others towards value-added services and dynamic and more promising international markets. In this way, they have maintained their role as a driving force behind the national economy, above all thanks to an above-average infrastructure endowment, the presence of relatively larger companies and an ecosystem capable of stimulating the creation of a real technological hub functional to the whole country.
These are the main results that emerged from the Focus Territories CDP Think Tank - North-West Italy: innovation and technology for a new development path the report coordinated by Andrea Montanino, Chief Economist CDP Group e Gianfranco Di Vaio, CDP Macro Research Manager. The presentation of the study, which saw the participation, among others, of the mayor Marco Bucci need Nuncio Tartaglia Manager of the CDP Business Division, it was an opportunity to launch the cycle of Spazio Imprese events also in Genoa, dedicated to promoting dialogue with businesses in the area to better understand their needs and expectations, and to share reflections on issues of common interest.
The Focus on the North-West and the strengths of Liguria
Going back to the study, confirmation of the primary importance of the North-West Regions comes from the analysis of the transport "nodes", in which it is observed that that of the Ligurian capital is il first Italian merchant port, with the handling of over 2,6 million TEU (Twenty-foot equivalent unit) of container traffic in 2018, or about 24,6% of Italian containerized traffic. Also in Liguria are two of the main national cruise ports, with the port system of Genoa and Savona which thanks to around 1,9 million passengers overall in 2018 was second only to Civitavecchia (which has a traffic of 2,4 million passengers). On the other hand, however, in the post-crisis years Liguria has shown a lower capacity to react due both to the limited innovative capacity of the entrepreneurial fabric and to the demographic decline which has hindered the recovery of socio-economic dynamism.
Despite the difficulties following the economic-financial crisis, however, the study notes that overall the North-West is still characterized by high levels of income, with a per capita GDP of over 35 thousand euros, higher than both the 30 European average and the 28 euro national figure. Moreover, all the regions that make up the area (Liguria, Lombardy, Piedmont, Valle d'Aosta) have a per capita GDP above the Italian average, with the peak in Lombardy exceeding 38 euros of product per inhabitant.
The North-West, according to the Focus Territori CDP, therefore has the opportunity to exploit its potential to remain competitive and play an even more important role in the European context, focusing on a series of excellences: industrial sectors, such as the automotive industry, which can offer opportunities in a logic of international supply chainson them; The integrated port system and logistics, which through appropriate investments can strengthen the area's role as an access point to Italy and Europe; cultural and natural resources, which have significant growth margins in terms of tourist flows and, finally, the training sector, which through an integrated network of the excellences present can strengthen the innovation capacity of the territory and of the entire country.
CDP for Liguria
Genoa represents a nerve center of the North-West production system, thanks also to the activity of its historic port, a reference hub for the Mediterranean Sea, which makes it a strategic connection point with the rest of Europe. Over the last three years, CDP has granted over 100 million euros in loans to local public bodies, while the contribution to support infrastructural development projects amounted to 75 million euro.
The Group's commitment has extended - also through the contribution of SACE SIMEST for exports, to support the companies towards which - since 2017 - approximately 620 million euros have been mobilised. Examples of this are, among others, the loans to leading Made in Italy companies such as "Sanlorenzo" of Ameglia, La Spezia, a global leader in the production of high-end luxury yachts and "Fratelli Carli", a historic oil company in Oneglia, Imperia, which exports Ligurian oil to tables all over the world.
In the area of social housing support, over the years the CDP Group has committed over 60 million euro through the Fondo Investimenti per l'Abitare (FIA) for the implementation of social housing projects. About 2/3 of the resources were employed in the Genoa area alone. In particular, 34 apartments have been built in Sampierdarena, partly for rent and partly for sale. Another 34 apartments dedicated to renting are available in Genova Principe. Finally, in Molassana the redevelopment project of the former Boero industrial area is in progress for the construction of 170 social housing plus 1.500mXNUMX dedicated to services.
