INTESA SANPAOLO: IN FLORENCE WITH LEADING COMPANIES IN THE AREA FOR THE SECOND STAGE OF OBIETTIVO ITALIA 2025

• IMI Corporate & Investment Banking Division's initiative continues with great success to support companies and institutions in facing up to market challenges
• More than 60 business representatives from the Centre-North of Italy gathered in Florence to discuss growth strategies
• In the Centre-North Region, the Italian Network of the IMI CIB Division supports more than 330 groups and about 1,600 companies, with average loans of € 6 billion in 2024
• In 2024, Tuscany was the best performing region in foreign markets, with an increase in exports of 13.6%

Milan, 11 April 2025 - Obiettivo Italia 2025 of Intesa Sanpaolo's IMI Corporate & Investment Banking Division, led by Mauro Micillo, made a stop in Florence achieving record numbers and seeing strong interest from participants. Following the success of the inaugural event in Vicenza, the Tuscan capital hosted over 60 representatives of the local business world, confirming its role as a point of reference for the production panorama in the Centre-North.

Now at its second edition, the project aims to create a constructive dialogue with the Italian entrepreneurial fabric, offering concrete insights and innovative solutions to address the ongoing economic transformations. The route is developed in eight stages spread over the year, with meetings in strategic territories for the national economy, including, after Florence, Lonato del Garda, Turin, Bologna, Milan, Naples and Rome.

“Tuscany, with its balanced combination of sectors such as tourism, agribusiness, industry and services, and with its high-quality artisan supply chains that underpin the success of many global luxury brands, is also one of the most active regions in the field of renewable energy. With Obiettivo Italia, we seek to support our customers in their growth paths, offering them the opportunity to deepen their knowledge of issues and strategies to better face an ever-changing market. This is also achieved through innovative and digital solutions and services in transaction banking and corporate risk management", commented Michele Sorrentino, Head of IMI CIB Italian Network at Intesa Sanpaolo. "Indeed, our Division continues to invest in strategic consulting and financial support to companies, strengthening the link with the territories and promoting a sustainable growth model”.

The Florence event: ideas and solutions to meet future challenges

On 9 April, more than 60 entrepreneurs and top managers from the area's leading economic groups met in Florence to discuss market prospects and development strategies. The meeting was opened by Michele Sorrentino's speech, followed by an analysis of the economic scenario by Giovanni Foresti, Intesa Sanpaolo Regional Research Manager, who illustrated global macroeconomic trends and their impact on Italian companies.

During the day, topics central to the industry's growth were addressed, such as risk management, digital innovation and the evolution in treasury services. Participating companies were able to speak directly with the Bank's experts to identify new solutions to strengthen their competitiveness.

The initiative is part of IMI CIB Division's strategy to support companies and the public sector in a path of growth and sustainable development by responding to a rapidly changing scenario with advanced tools and customised strategies.

A rooted presence to accompany companies in the Centre-North

The Italian Network of the IMI Corporate & Investment Banking Division oversees the Central-Northern Region through three Corporate Centres located in Ancona, Florence and Bologna-Parma, guaranteeing widespread support to local economic realities. The reference area comprises six Italian regions, characterised by a diversified and dynamic production fabric.

Thanks to a team of 44 professionals, the IMI CIB Division - which caters to corporate groups with a turnover in excess of € 350 million - supports around 1,600 clients from more than 330 business groups, offering tailor-made financial solutions and an advisory service oriented towards growth and innovation. In 2024, the average cash loans of the IMI CIB Division in the region reached a value of € 6 billion, representing 7% of the total Italian Network.

The new macroeconomic scenario and the economic outlook for Italy and Tuscany

According to analyses by Intesa Sanpaolo’s Research Department, in 2025 the growth of the Italian economy will be driven by consumption, which will benefit from the recovery of household purchasing power. Lower interest rates will allow investments to grow again, especially among the most innovative and youth-led start-ups. A boost to investment may then come from the grounding of the national resilience recovery plan (PNRR) funds, which will accelerate in the current two-year period.

There is no shortage of risks, given the highly complex environment in which Italian companies have to compete. The duties announced by the US on 2 April will affect the development of exports. If the EU's response were then to be the tightening of tariffs on imported products from the US, European inflation would be affected, dampening domestic demand.

Thanks to an internal survey of colleagues in the various Intesa Sanpaolo departments dealing with internationalisation, it was possible to identify the reactions of companies to the US tariffs. What we are witnessing is a strong reaction from Italian and Tuscan companies: faced with the threat of new US customs duties, they are looking for new customers in other markets. At the same time, there is an emerging interest on the part of Italian operators in opening new sales and production branches in the United States.

The survey then offers insights into markets where sales can be diversified. In first place is the Middle East, considered to be the market with the greatest potential for Italian exports, thanks to good growth prospects and high-spending consumers. This is followed by India, which stands out above all in terms of expected demand dynamics and market size. North Africa is also relevant (in terms of growth prospects and low competition), ranking ahead of South America and Western Europe.

Tuscan companies have the potential to seize these opportunities. In 2024, Tuscany was the best performing region in foreign markets, recording a 13.6% increase in exports, equal to 7.6 billion in additional foreign sales. Growth was driven by the leap in pharmaceuticals (+33.8%) and jewellery (+102.7%). A positive contribution also came from mechanics (+16.4%), agribusiness (+16.1%) and shipbuilding (+30.6%). The brilliant results achieved in these sectors have thus largely offset the slowdown in the fashion system. At a provincial level, the performance of Florence (+20.6%) and Arezzo (+45.6%) particularly stand out.

Moreover, Tuscan companies have already shown in the recent past that they are well able to seize the opportunities offered by new markets. In 2024, the top fifteen markets for growth in value of Tuscan exports include Turkey, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, Vietnam, the United Arab Emirates and Morocco.

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Media Relations

Intesa Sanpaolo

Corporate & Investment Banking and Governance Areas

stampa@intesasanpaolo.com