La Lombardy remains the engine of Italy. In the region, according to data reported by Banca Ifis' Market Watch Pmi, 550 businesses operate with an annual turnover of one trillion euros (25% of the national total). Lombard companies are driven by three sectors: chemistry, technology and mechanics. The research was disclosed during the Innovation Days 2022 “Green and Digital: Italy restarts“, first date of the roadshow of eight workshops organized by Sole 24 Ore and Confindustria and dedicated to Lombardy which in this fourth edition will focus on digitization and sustainability in the context of grounding the PNRR.
Lombardy engine of Italy: at the top for digital and green investments
According to the study, Lombard companies demonstrate a remarkable intensity in digital investments, largely supported by self-financing, but also by bank credit and leasing, with the use of over three different 4.0 technologies for each company.
Also in terms of sustainability, Lombard companies boast almost ten points ahead of the national average (ecological transition index devised by Banca Ifis). If 45% of companies have already equipped themselves with an organization and a figure responsible for ESG within them, over the next two years Lombard entrepreneurs are ready to invest even more in green: +28% investments in renewable energy, +26% investments in innovative materials.
Looking at the macroeconomic scenario, also in the light of Def 2022 approved by the CDM, the Russia-Ukraine conflict has led to a worsening of entrepreneurs' expectations with a drop in the confidence index in the first quarter of 2022. Concerns for 77% of respondents concern the impact of energy boosts, while for 62% they are i commodity prices to worry. On the subject of PNRR, to date, less than one out of four companies sees significant benefits from the prospective implementation of the Plan: only 12% of the companies interviewed plan to apply for the envisaged funds.
