Thanks to Sace, 150 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are following the work of the The European House – Ambrosetti Forum this weekend in Cernobbio. Sace itself communicates it underlining that the novelty is in line with the mission of the group which has already reached 40 thousand SMEs in the first half of 2023 and which aims to serve 65 thousand by 2025.
Sace presented the study “Small, medium and more competitive: Italian SMEs testing exports between sustainable and digital transition”, created in collaboration with The European House – Ambrosetti, which analyzes the role of Italian SMEs for the economy and national exports, and the potential for development thanks to the dual green and digital transition.
Sace: the importance of SMEs for Italian exports. The data
According to the study, Italian SMEs currently generate around a third of their turnover abroad (a good 8 percentage points above the German ones) and contribute to almost half of national exports, compared to 20% of the German and French ones and 34 % of Spanish. A trend that is also strengthening in perspective: according to Sace forecasts, the exports of Italian SMEs are expected to grow this year by 6,2%, by 4% in 2024 and by 3,2%, on average, in the following two years (2025-2026), when they will exceed 300 billion euros.
"SACE participates in the Cernobbio Forum together with Italian SMEs, offering them the opportunity to virtually follow the three days of work, meetings and debates, and above all bringing to the attention of this authoritative context the importance and prospects for small and medium-sized Italian companies, grappling with the challenges and opportunities of the sustainable and digital transition,” he said Alessandra Ricci, CEO of Sace in presenting the report on SMEs. “We at SACE, in line with the mission and objectives of our Together 2025 Business Plan, are already alongside 40 Italian SMEs in their investment and sustainable growth projects in Italy and around the world and we expect to reach 65 in Arch of Piano".
The beyond 200 small and medium-sized Italian enterprises produce a turnover of over 1.000 billion euros, generate almost 40% of the national added value and employ 5,4 million people, equal to a third of all employed people. SMEs are strongly interconnected and develop forms of open innovation and collaboration with their ecosystem in order to access strategic resources (such as knowledge, technology, finance or skills) for their growth. A network that makes resilience and sustainability the key to its development.
"The research 'Small, medium and more competitive: Italian SMEs testing exports between sustainable and digital transition' demonstrates SACE's commitment to SMEs - and the entire production system - for greater knowledge and awareness of the tools necessary for companies to grow in a sustainable and innovative way”, he declared Alexander Terzulli, chief economist of Sace. “The aim of the study is to underline, in consideration of their importance, the characteristics that distinguish the over 200 Italian SMEs, in order to enhance their qualities and help them seize development opportunities on the national and international scene, also in light of the dual challenge of the sustainable and digital transition”.
Italian SMEs in 2021 (latest data available) they exported 219 billion euros, equal to about half of total exports, with an average annual growth of 2,7% between 2017 and 2021, marking a full post-pandemic recovery.
