The observatory onEnergy Innovation presented by I-Com (Institute for Competitiveness) in the presence of the main energy market operators, it takes stock of the growth of the energy market in Italy and the birth of new start-ups in the sector.
A sector crossed by multiple changes and innovations among which, as noted by the president of I-Com Stefano da Empoli, stands out "The bidirectionality. Lo The development of renewables has now redesigned the contours of the energy market, creating hundreds of thousands of small producers and also laying the foundations for a more conscious consumption, entrusted to innovation” .
"In order not to be overwhelmed by the web companies - continues the president of I-Com -, utilities in the coming years will have to compete not only and not so much on price (leveraged, given that a large part of the price is determined outside commercial relationships with customers) but on increasingly sophisticated services, possibly not only energy".
The observatory also detects the quantitative aspects of the diffusion of new innovative companies in the sector, which represent a reliable measure of the current trend reversal in terms of competitiveness and development. In fact, the number of energy startups in Italy, which in May 2015 were 444, equal to 11,4% of the total start-ups against 368 in 2014. Northern Italy hosts 59%, while 22% is located in Central Italy and 19% in South. South which, however, has a growing birth rate over time (23,2% in 2015 against 16,4% in 2014).
The first region of the South is the Campania, with 228 startups. There Lombardia is in first place in the general classification with 850. It follows Emilia Romagna with 467 units. The data on the per capita presence of new businesses highlights the smaller provinces: for example, Bergamo welcomes 5% of energy start-ups, while hosting only 1,8% of the national population.
Services represent the most widespread area of activity: 88% (392 start-ups) are involved in scientific research and development. Energy start-ups demonstrate a survival capacity in line with or slightly lower than other start-ups overall: in May 2015, the mortality rate stood at 7,5% (9% for the others). The birth rate has recorded peaks of up to 40% for energy start-ups active in the industrial sector. The service sector, more populated in absolute terms, instead sees the birth rate at around 20%;
The I-Com observatory also contains a survey on the orientations of the Italian population with respect to energy innovation. Among the various data collected, the most significant is that which indicates that the Italians interviewed are in favor of introducing new taxes to finance energy innovation, rather than finance them through the bill: this is the opinion of 66,7% of the sample (63,7 .2014% in XNUMX).
What changes, in the current context, are some important trends, especially as regards the consumer and his approach to the market. For example, forms of shared consumption are spreading: from buying groups to energy community, consumers choose to get together to obtain more advantageous conditions on the market;
Another novelty is theEquity crowdfunding: in Italy it is still in its infancy, but there are already 2 platforms dedicated to the energy sector. The potential is especially interesting for start-ups: the consumer finances and becomes a partner, the company raises capital at reduced costs and at the same time increases the economic impact on the territory, triggering participatory processes.
Utilities are destined to transform themselves from (simple) energy suppliers to (structured) providers of a range of services with growing added value. Energy thus becomes a platform through which different products pass, accessible via Apps, communicated via social networks and usable also through initiatives of Gamification.
"Innovations in both energy production and consumption are, in all cases, increasingly interrelated with the defense of ecosystems, the fight against pollution and the fight against global warming" - observes Antonio Sileo, director of the Innov-E Observatory - " Themes that will be at the center of the Paris 2015 climate conference and which are now of direct interest to non-experts, as well as voices as authoritative as they are listened to, such as that of Pope Francis".
