Milano Cortina 2026: sport driving Italy’s growth

The experience of Cortina 1956^TM and Torino 2006 shows that the most significant impact emerges in the medium to long term, when infrastructure, reputation and skills continue to generate value.

Italy is among the world’s leading exporters of sports-related goods, with a share close to 4% of global sector trade, exceeding the country’s average weight in international trade.

This achievement is driven by the strength of Italian industrial districts, including:

• Montebelluna footwear and sportsystem district
• Padua and Vicenza bicycle district
• Belluno eyewear district

These territories combine quality, know-how, design excellence and time-to-market

Milano Cortina 2026 has promoted Italian cuisine, design and Made in Italy worldwide, particularly in premium segments, where Italy’s share exceeds 11%, more than double that of mid- to low-range products.

Design is a key asset: with over €6 billion in turnover and nearly 70,000 employees, Italy ranks first in Europe in specialised design activities. This competitive advantage can extend to other emblematic sectors of the Italian way of life, including:

• Fashion system
• Wood-furniture and lighting
• Food and beverage

The Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games take place during a renewed phase of public investment, also supported by the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP). Both physical and digital infrastructure projects are improving connections, accessibility and connectivity.

Expected key impacts include:

• increased international attractiveness
• growth in sports tourism and reduced seasonality
• urban regeneration and technological innovation
• stronger global positioning of Made in Italy

Many benefits, particularly reputational and industrial ones, are difficult to quantify in the short term but may significantly influence future growth.

Sport also represents social and educational infrastructure. In 2024, 37.5% of Italians practiced sport in their free time, an increase compared to previous years. However, important gaps remain:

• gender gap: 43.4% men vs 31.8% women
• youth gap: among 15–17-year-olds, the difference between boys and girls exceeds 20 percentage points
• territorial disparities: over 40% participation in Central-Northern Italy vs 28% in Southern Italy
• education level: 62% of graduates aged 25–44 practice sport compared to 19% among those with only primary education

Lack of time remains the main barrier, particularly among people aged 35 to 44, followed by lack of interest and, in some areas, limited availability of facilities.

Estimates also highlight a gap in public per-capita spending on sport compared with countries such as France, Germany and Spain. Investing in infrastructure, services and accessibility therefore represents not only a social priority but also a strategic economic lever.

Companies can also contribute to promoting sport participation by strengthening:

• corporate welfare initiatives
• smart working and flexible working hours
• work-life balance

Medium and large companies are more active in these areas, but significant improvement potential remains across the broader productive system, with meaningful benefits for employee wellbeing.

Milano Cortina 2026 can become a multiplier for sustainable growth, integrating industry, tourism, infrastructure and social inclusion. This is a challenge not only for host territories but for the entire country system and its ability to transform a major event into a lasting economic and social legacy.

In this context, Intesa Sanpaolo, through financial support for production chains and local territories, contributes structurally to the development of the economic ecosystem linked to Milano Cortina 2026 and, more broadly, to sustainable growth in sport as a driver of competitiveness and cohesion