Rome and Lazio are not only tourism and great beauty but also manufacturing industry and avant-garde multinationals. But what is the sentiment of large international companies, which have been in our home for some time, after the unexpected crisis of the Draghi government? FIRSTonline asked Alessandra Santa Croce, Director of Institutional Relations of IBM Italy and vice president for multinationals and foreign markets of Unindustria Lazio, the second major territorial association of Confindustria. Lazio is in fact one of the Italian regions which boasts the largest number of multinationals which undoubtedly play an important driving role for the local economy. “Promote the permanence and increase the investments of multinationals present in the area undoubtedly represents the most effective push to attract new capital” explains Santacroce who recalls how the special Technical Group on multinationals of Unindustria, a sort of task force, acts with three very clear objectives: an action of retention and the promotion of attractiveness policies, the identification of a customer care model, the study of international reference benchmarks and, last but not least, communication. “Often – continues Santacroce – the important economic and social role of multinationals is not perceived and, on the contrary, the effects of an often unfavorable reputation tend to disqualify its importance. Our goal is precisely to transfer the added value of their presence in the area and the heritage they represent from the hands of multinationals. Talking about multinationals and letting citizens enter their realities through the words of the protagonists, from plant managers to external relations managers and management, can certainly be a way to reduce the distance that is often generated between civil society and these "industrial giants" that we should increasingly perceive as "gentle giants" capable of general know-how and wealth for our territory". But here's the interview.
Doctor Santacroce, a recent research by the Unindustria Study Center has indicated that 23% of Lazio's turnover comes from the multinationals of the region which are a real engine of growth, but for a few days Italy has plunged into the most incredible of government crises which can have destabilizing economic, financial and industrial effects: how do the multinationals of Lazio experience this unexpected novelty? Is there a risk that they may rethink their investment programs in Lazio and Italy?
“Clearly the effects of the new political scenario create some element of instability; however, it is not what determines the investment choice of multinationals as much as the favorable context that the territory can provide. We consider the current situation to be a transitional situation, the real challenge is to create a condition of attractiveness for investments and customer care for the multinationals already present in the area that is not linked to the changeability of the political scenarios. What we need is the identification of a model of local attractiveness that is the result of a medium-long term industrial policy vision, independent of the change in the political scenarios, only in this way can we guarantee a good level of credibility”.
What will the multinationals ask of the new government that will emerge from the general elections on 25 September? Is justice that works, a bureaucracy at the service of citizens and businesses, a tax reform or a labor market that favors the matching of supply and demand more important?
«I would also add talents. The combination of all these elements makes investment conditions possible and favorable and determines the choices of multinationals. All these factors combine to identify the real lever to make an area attractive: certainty of times, procedures and ability to estimate costs. There are no priorities or classifications, these are all essential elements for the competitiveness of a territory».
What is the Customer Care project that you launched at a regional level to meet the needs of multinationals?
«The project starts from the assumption that in order to encourage the proliferation of new investments, it is necessary to start from the care and attention towards those who have believed in this region and therefore from the multinationals already present. An appropriate knowledge of what already exists in the area, a more attentive assistance that favors the establishment and possible expansions in connection with all the entities concerned to overcome the bureaucratic obstacle, but above all a teamwork between Institutions, the Lazio Region specifically, and the business system, are the basis of the project. Our goal is, in short, to facilitate the life of multinationals in the area so that they can continue to invest and create value and qualified employment».
How do you explain the fact that in Lazio the added value of multinationals is even higher than that of other industrial areas of the country? Could the creation of Rome Technopole or the eventual success of Rome's candidacy for Expo 2030 act as a driving force to attract other multinationals?
"The context in Lazio has proved to be favorable over time, in particular due to the qualified level of knowledge and skills that have characterized the settlement of multinationals in sectors with a high level of specialization such as pharmaceuticals, automotive, ICT and aerospace . Undoubtedly the creation of the Rome Technopole can only favor this positive context and goes exactly in the direction required by the multinationals who expect valuable knowledge and skills from this area. Rome's candidacy for Expo clearly represents a further element of promotion of the area, encouraging collaboration between different subjects to compete, in a stage that would see the spotlights focused on Rome. It should in fact be underlined how the presence of the Capital in the region represents a competitive advantage, but above all the sense of a challenge that starts from Rome and the Lazio Region for the benefit of Italy».
How are the EU sanctions against Russia weighing on exports and more generally on the activity of multinationals in Lazio?
«Among the heavy consequences of this war scenario which has now been going on for months there is certainly the great issue of energy costs. A cost to our entire economy, to families and businesses of all sizes. In the case of multinationals, the impact is particularly felt among manufacturing companies that have seen costs soar. The scenario of uncertainty and crisis is also having an impact on supply chains on a global scale, due to the new geopolitical scenarios that redesign new economic reference perimeters. A strategic reorientation in the choices of multinational companies is foreseeable, but always with a view to healthy international competition. Firms will likely make adjustments in their production strategies. For example, maintaining greater inventories of critical goods, such as medical supplies. It is possible that there will be limited reshoring, especially driven by the cost of labor in some production hubs, accentuated by the crisis. However, the impression is that the economic motivations founding global value chains continue to exist and that the "guiding element" in their future relocation will refer not to a now impossible nationalization of production, but to a relocation based on common values".
