The digital tour of "Imprese Vincenti 2020", the Intesa Sanpaolo program for the enhancement of small and medium-sized Italian enterprises, which are often little known but fundamental for the vitality of the production system, capable of expressing examples of entrepreneurial excellence and made in Italy, engine of supply chains and production districts. The closing event – conceived as a round table in which entrepreneurs, banks and opinion leaders drew up a balance sheet of the experience of the Winning Companies and the situation of the Italian production context – saw the 144 Winning Companies 2020 connected which in over two months participated in the various stages of the digital tour which, in 12 stages overall, traveled the entire peninsula stopping virtually in Milan, Florence, Turin, Naples, Padua, Brescia, Bari, Bologna, Bergamo, Rome and Cuneo, as well as dedicating a stage to third sector companies.
A participation that, despite the Coronavirus emergency, highlighted the will, hope and entrepreneurial commitment that the world of SMEs puts in place on a daily basis to keep the country's productive fabric active. In continuity with the tour that started at the end of September, the final event of Imprese Vincenti was completely digital: the balance sheet of the 2020 edition helped to bring together the distinctive components of all those companies which, in various sectors and with different business histories, manage to increase turnover and productivity or in any case to respond to the crisis and implement effective strategies for development. Thanks to the testimony of small entrepreneurs and large companies, the value of SMEs has emerged in many of the production chains and industrial districts that still drive the Italian economy today.
The Covid-19 emergency was central to the discussion, a watershed in the reflection on the state of health of our entrepreneurship: starting from the successful cases, 'winning' paths were explored and some transformation processes emerged that guided the transition from logic of the value of the product to that of the value of the company. The 2020 Winning Companies have a greater ability to adapt to changes in the context, managing to maintain a long-term perspective and setting strategies for the future. They are examples of entrepreneurial excellence and Made in Italy which continue to drive the economy and which, especially in this delicate phase, can contribute to the relaunch of the country. The product categories to which they belong are differentiated, often linked to the industrial districts or supply chain system of their local area: clothing, agri-food, chemicals and metals, chemicals and plastics, digital, ICT & electronics, electronics and precision mechanics, energy, environment and natural resources, food & beverage, chemical and engineering industry, industry and services, mechanics and electronics, medical and pharmaceutical, fashion and design, personal system, furniture and design, textiles, transport and distribution.
The 144 selected winning companies are therefore an expression of the Italian economic fabric in terms of size and production characteristics, but represent a true element of excellence. These are companies that in 2019 generated around 3,2 billion euros in turnover (with growth 10 times higher than the Italian average in the last 6 years) and employed over 15.000 employees (with growth 8 times higher than the Italian average in the last 6 years). The analyzes carried out on this sample of companies during the entire evolution of the Digital Tour which lasted over two months showed how these SMEs, even in a phase of economic crisis like the current one, have continued to invest in the fundamental guidelines for business growth: sustainability, innovation, investment in human capital, generational change, internationalization, links with the territory and with its production chains, as well as a strong focus on the social impact generated on its reference territory.
During the Digital Tour, the concrete testimonies of entrepreneurs were collected who, starting from an excellent positioning, reacted to the crisis situation. A picture has emerged that in some way draws an important line for the recovery. The companies in the panel all worked on people, highlighting how in times of crisis, training and welfare systems were a critical success factor for looking beyond the pandemic phase. All the companies that took part in the Tour strongly highlighted how the bond between the company and the people was a fundamental element in building a new start. A second important direction that the companies in the panel highlighted was the ability to continue with investments, with a reorientation towards digitization and sustainability: from the testimonies of these entrepreneurs it emerged that it was essential in the crisis phase to review their investment, look to new technologies to open up to markets more competitively and increase the efficiency of production processes.
The adoption of business policies oriented towards environmental, social and governance sustainability issues was also perceived by the companies in the panel as an opportunity to increase their competitiveness and invest in the creation of long-term value. Lastly, the strong bond with one's local area was an element that characterized all the companies encountered on the digital journey through Italy: the synergy with the local entrepreneurial fabric, with local production features was an element that contributed to also international growth, in that all-Italian ability to export quality micro-excellence. The link with the territory also emerged in particular in the stage dedicated to social enterprises, a new element in the 2020 edition, from which the integration between profit and non-profit emerged as a crucial factor, as a lever for the creation of social well-being for all communities.
Also for the '2020 Winning Companies' the selected SMEs will be included in programs to accompany growth and visibility at national level offered by Intesa Sanpaolo and the initiative's partners, Bain & Company, ELITE, Gambero Rosso, together with Cerved and Microsoft Italy. On the one hand, Bain&Company, ELITE and Gambero Rosso will provide companies with growth support tools such as advisory dedicated to understanding the company's strategic positioning on its reference market and identifying possible guidelines for development, comparison with the ELITE community and with international best practices, participation in training courses, workshops or dedicated sessions on strategic issues. Cerved contributed to the creation of the selection model for winning companies, while Microsoft Italia will support SMEs with training and technological support services to accelerate digital transformation processes.
“The digital tour of Imprese Vincenti – he commented Stefano Barrese, head of the Intesa Sanpaolo Banca dei Territori Division – has crossed all of Italy and despite the difficulties that the pandemic crisis is causing, the response and participation of Italian SMEs has been total, testifying that the common features of Italian entrepreneurship are passion, Italian ingenuity and determination. The companies - continues Barrese - have told their corporate history not ignoring the difficulties of the moment, which however they face thanks to their own strengths such as the value of the link with their territory together with the high rate of innovation, the consolidated relationships with the abroad, to investments in research and attention to human capital, the environment and sustainability, up to the development of production processes inspired by the circular economy. Precisely the crisis generated by the pandemic must push us to continue to enhance the talents of excellent companies that remain resilient and capable of looking ahead, those who have correctly set up their business strategy are able to react and restart. For us - concludes Barrese - all the companies that are engaging in the restart are in any case successful, we must accompany them towards relaunch and growth ".
