The districts of Emilia are confirmed as a winning formula, beyond any economic crisis. In 2013, exports even reached an all-time high, reaching 10,9 billion, with an increase of 3,6% on the previous year (almost one point higher than the national average for manufacturing). This was revealed by a study by Intesa Sanpaolo, carried out for Carisbo, Cariromagna and Banca Monte Parma.
The driving forces behind this train are the tile sector of Sassuolo (+7%) and the packaging machinery sector of Bologna (+7,6%). Two poles of excellence, capable of attracting other companies into their orbit as well. An example of this is Philip Morris, which is investing 500 million euros in a plant for a new "health" cigarette, right in Crespellano, in the Bologna area, in the heart of the packaging valley where the multinational has always used to find the plants to pack its products.
The union, the chain, the competence are the strength of the districts and the double-digit increases in exports can also be seen in the footwear of San Mauro Pascoli (+14,1%) and Fusignano-Bagnacavallo (+27,5%), as well as in the Parma dairy sector (+27,2%). Positive signals were recorded in the three cured meat districts: Modena (+7,3%), Parma (+6,8%), Reggio Emilia (+7,7%).
More contained, but still good, is the result of the agricultural machinery of Modena and Reggio Emilia (+3%), of the food industry of Parma (+3,3%), of the woodworking machinery of Rimini (+0,2% ), of machines for the ceramic industry of Modena and Reggio Emilia (+0,3%).
Unfortunately, the negative signs also find space in the positive picture, such as that of the knitwear and clothing of Carpi (-1,8%), which is the third district in the region for exported values. Exports of the three mechanical districts are down: mopeds in Bologna (-9%), food machinery in Parma (-5%), machine tools in Piacenza (-21,9%), but also upholstered furniture in Forlì (-5,4%), Rimini clothing (-5,3%), Romagna fruit and vegetables (-2,7%), Reggio Emilia dairy products (-0,7%).
In terms of outlet markets, the "emerging" markets continue to be the driving forces (+7,2%), in particular Turkey, China (including Hong Kong) and Ukraine. The advanced markets did well (+1,5%), driven by the interest of the United States for the products of the tile districts of Sassuolo and the Parma dairy. So-so instead Germany and Russia, after the boom of 2012.
Finally, the research offers some food for thought on the areas affected by the earthquake two years ago. Exports of the biomedical hub of Mirandola (+6,3%) and the ICT hub of Bologna and Modena (+9,8%) are growing, but the recovery is not yet sufficient to compensate for the losses suffered as a result of the earthquake: in In 2013 flows abroad reached 267,5 million euros, i.e. 19% less than in 2011.
