PRESS RELEASE
NEW AGREEMENT BETWEEN CONFINDUSTRIA AND INTESA SANPAOLO: €14 BILLION TO STRENGTHEN COMPETITIVENESS AND PRODUCTIVITY OF ENTERPRISES IN LAZIO
· Today in Rome a meeting with entrepreneurs to present robotics, digitalisation and artificial intelligence, strategic levers to strengthen business competitiveness
· €14 billion earmarked for Lazio enterprises
· Barrese: "The digital transition and artificial intelligence certainly represent growth and development opportunities for the country's economy".
· Orsini: "We are working on an Extraordinary Industrial Plan hinged on three levers: stimulating investment, boosting competitiveness and creating an attractive environment. This agreement is a concrete support to meet the challenges of the digital and green transition, but also to enhance our industrial capital”
Rome, 02 July 2025 - The territorial meeting was held today in Rome to present the new four-year agreement between Confindustria and Intesa Sanpaolo for the growth of Italian companies announced at the start of the year by Confindustria Chairman Emanuele Orsini and Carlo Messina, Managing Director and CEO of Intesa Sanpaolo.
The joint national programme makes €200 billion available until 2028, of which €14 billion is dedicated to enterprises from Lazio to relaunch development of the production system and seize the opportunities of the Transition 5.0 and AI, thereby complementing the resources already earmarked by the Bank for the realisation of the NRRP objectives.
Emanuele Orsini, Chairman of Confindustria, and Stefano Barrese, Head of Intesa Sanpaolo's Banca dei Territori Division, highlighted the specificities of the new measures put in place and discussed robotics, digitalisation and artificial intelligence with Lazio's entrepreneurs as a lever for growth in terms of connectivity and competitiveness of the economic fabric. Specific measures were also presented to encourage support for new production facilities, the expansion and modernisation of existing ones, and investments in the energy sector, thus supporting the appeal of Italian territories strategically positioned for international routes and trade.
The national protocol presented today consolidates and renews the collaboration between Intesa Sanpaolo and Confindustria that started back in 2009 which, thanks to a total of €450 billion in loans disbursed to the Italian production system over a period of fifteen years, has helped evolve the relationship between bank and enterprise by accompanying the needs of SMEs and mature industries even in their most complex phases. This support has taken the form of numerous joint initiatives that, also through government guarantees activated in critical phases, have made it possible to support tens of thousands of companies and mainly SMEs, the backbone of “Made in Italy” products worldwide, with new credit.
The new aspects concern:
Ø investments in new high-potential advanced production models with a focus on Aerospace, Robotics, Artificial Intelligence and Life Sciences
Ø the acceleration of the sustainable transition in line with the Transition 5.0 Plan, of innovative high-tech processes, of the circular economy towards an optimal energy balance between sustainable energy sources
Ø the impact in research and innovation by fostering the creation and development of high-tech start-ups and SMEs also through financial solutions and dedicated services
Ø a plan for Sustainable Living, to facilitate mobility and talent attraction in Italian industry
Ø the growth of southern enterprises through the optimisation of the Single SEZ of Southern Italy
Stefano Barrese, Head of Intesa Sanpaolo's Banca dei Territori Division, commented: "The digital transition and artificial intelligence certainly represent growth and development opportunities for the country's economy, but to seize them it is important to keep human capital and training central. That is why it will be crucial to increase the recruitment of young people in companies, to provide training and specialisation programmes, and to guarantee their welfare for the benefit of the country as a whole. The Intesa Sanpaolo Group is looking carefully at those companies that invest in new technologies and create new jobs: we intend to contribute with our credit policies to the growth of their competitiveness and productivity, but also to the support of new employment".
Emanuele Orsini, Chairman of Confindustria: "In a geopolitical context marked by deep tensions and multiple open fronts in global trade, Italian industry must show strategic vision and determination. Today, more than ever before, it is necessary to calibrate responses on a national and European scale, focusing on competitiveness, energy security and social cohesion. Courage and foresight are needed to take structural measures for families and businesses. This is precisely why we are working on an Extraordinary Industrial Plan hinged on three levers: stimulating investment, boosting competitiveness and creating an attractive environment. In this context, we will propose measures to mobilise the savings of households and institutional investors towards the domestic production system to ensure growth and welfare for all. And the new Agreement with Intesa Sanpaolo fits in the groove as a concrete support to meet the challenges of the digital and green transition, but also to enhance our industrial capital. From this perspective, the Plan for Affordable Housing promoted by Confindustria is also an essential pillar. It is not only a response to the housing challenge, but also a driver to make the Italian production chain more attractive to people with qualified skills - especially young people - and to encourage talent to take root in our territories. An investment that speaks of the future, innovation and community”.
After the addresses by Giuseppe Biazzo, Chairman of Unindustria, and Roberto Gabrielli, Regional Director of Lazio and Abruzzo of Intesa Sanpaolo, Gregorio De Felice, Chief Economist Intesa Sanpaolo, Marco Nocivelli, Deputy Chairman for Industrial Policies and Made in Italy of Confindustria, and Alberto Tripi, Special Advisor for Artificial Intelligence of Confindustria, discussed the challenge of advanced digital technologies by commenting on an analysis by the Intesa Sanpaolo Research Department, which was followed by dialogue between Anna Roscio, Executive Director Sales & Marketing Imprese Banca dei Territori of Intesa Sanpaolo, and Angelo Camilli, Deputy Chairman for Credit, Finance and Taxation of Confindustria, on the specific contents of the agreement and the main drivers of business development.
The proceedings concluded with a conversation between Emanuele Orsini, Chairman of Confindustria, and Stefano Barrese, Head of Intesa Sanpaolo's Banca dei Territori Division, who were called upon to deepen their analysis of the bank-business relationship and how it is evolving in the face of the complex context. Robotics, artificial intelligence and digitisation are real turning points in the process of business growth and competitiveness, involving all sectors. Investing resources and knowledge in these topics means investing in the ability to generate value. Confindustria and Intesa Sanpaolo share the centrality of these development levers and aim to accompany companies by facilitating them in their approach to issues that are certainly new and complex but have now become unavoidable.
The macroeconomic scenario. Italian manufacturing and the challenge of advanced digital technologies
(by Intesa Sanpaolo Research Department)
· The current environment is characterised by great uncertainty, linked to geo-political tensions, numerous ongoing conflicts and the discontinuity of US trade policy. In particular, developments in the Middle East conflict, if escalated, could have significant impacts on energy markets.
· On the tariff front, the US government's constant stop-and-go affects the development of world trade. The impact on Italy's manufacturing system may be mitigated by companies’ diversification strategies regarding Italian export markets.
· In addition, Italian manufacturing can rely on the increasingly high quality of its products: average unit export values for Italy grew annually by 5.1% in the period 2014-2024, more than other European competitors (EU27 average +4.1%).
· Investment, especially in technology, is crucial. Italy is well positioned for industrial robot installations: according to the latest World Robotics report by the International Federation of Industrial Robots, there will be over 500,000 industrial robot installations globally in 2023 (world stock is over 4 million). China is firmly in first place (with approximately 270,000 installations) followed by Japan and the United States. Although in much smaller numbers, Italy ranks sixth worldwide, with more than 10,000 new installations by 2023. This reflects the good level of automation in the production system, which is increasingly embracing the 4.0 revolution.
· The analysis of the diffusion of different advanced technologies in the manufacturing industry (enterprises with at least 10 employees) shows a higher diffusion of cloud computing for Italian enterprises (over 60% of enterprises) compared to the EU27 average (45%). For Italy, it is the most widespread technology, followed by the use of management software (ERP, CRM, Business Intelligence) for the integration of internal processes, which was activated by 57.8% of companies, a figure slightly better than the European average (56.8%).
· On the other hand, the use of artificial intelligence is still limited: the share of companies that make use of it is 8% against a European average of 10.6% (this differential is conditioned by the high weight of small companies in the Italian production fabric). Between 2023 and 2024, the percentage increased by approximately 3 percentage points for Italy (+4 % for the EU), and the trend is set to continue in the years to come, both among large and small companies. The sectoral detail shows a high degree of heterogeneity: electronics ranks best (with around 16% of the companies using it), while the fashion system lags behind (4.6%). Higher differences emerge between Italy and the EU in the medium-high-tech sectors: electronics, transport equipment, mechanics and electrical engineering.
· A survey of 1,500 Italian companies conducted by Intesa Sanpaolo with BI-REX and SMACT, aimed at analysing the state of advancement of 4.0 and how it is being implemented, shows that the main objectives achieved (indicated by more than half of the 4.0 companies interviewed) generally concern the streamlining of production processes. Process automation, process monitoring/control using electronic sensors/devices to monitor connected machinery, and the increase in production speed are of particular note. Significant benefits are also achieved in terms of innovation, energy savings and job security. Robotics and data analysis are the main technologies adopted.
· Innovating and adopting advanced technologies has a positive impact on business performance. Indeed, the analysis of the sample of companies interviewed in the survey shows that companies with a medium-high digital and green intensity show better results in terms of turnover growth than those that are less technologically advanced. These companies are characterised by a well-articulated and structured innovation profile, using multiple advanced technologies, applied in multiple areas of the value chain with a focus also on environmental sustainability. These companies also perform better in terms of productivity, with an added value per employee of €86,000 (versus 76,000 for companies with lower digital and green intensity).
· More than 45% of companies also indicate that they will continue to invest in R&D in the coming years, including in new products and digitisation. The commitment to innovation will be accompanied by investment inhuman capital, in particular new hires and training.
· Finally, the challenge of generational accompaniment must be met: the propensity to invest in technology increases significantly when there is at least one director under 40 years of age on the company board.
Informazioni per la Stampa
Intesa Sanpaolo Confindustria
Media Relations Banca dei Territori e Media Locali
Confindustria
ConfindustriaComunicazione@confindustria.it
Intesa Sanpaolo
Intesa Sanpaolo, with €417 billion in loans and €1.4 trillion in customer financial assets at the end of March 2025, is the largest banking group in Italy, with a significant international presence. It is a European leader in wealth management, with a strong focus on digital and fintech. The Group will provide €115 billion of Impact lending by 2025 to support communities and the green transition, together with a €1.5 billion program (2023-2027) to help people in need. The Bank's network of museums, the Gallerie d'Italia, hosts its owned artistic heritage and cultural projects of recognized value.
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Confindustria is the main organization representing manufacturing and service companies in Italy. Membership is voluntary and includes over 150,000 companies of all sizes, employing a total of 5,390,110 people. The association’s mission is to promote the role of enterprise as a driving force for the country’s economic, social, and civil development. Confindustria represents businesses and their values at all institutional levels to contribute to the well-being and progress of society. In this spirit, through its local and sectoral associations, it responds daily to the needs of businesses by analyzing and interpreting competitive scenarios, supporting them in a path of growth, innovation, and entrepreneurial culture that combines long-term vision with specific needs.
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Last updated 2 July 2025 at 17:45
