INTESA SANPAOLO BRINGS “OBIETTIVO ITALIA 2025” TO NAPLES WITH LEADING COMPANIES FROM SOUTHERN ITALY

• The initiative by the IMI Corporate & Investment Banking Division makes a stop in Naples, where the presence of more than 60 representatives from Southern Italy’s business world marked one of the highest participation rates of the entire programme
• Focus on macroeconomic scenario, risk management, energy costs, and new frontiers in digitalisation
• Michele Sorrentino: “In recent years, Southern Italy has established itself as an attractive hub for both public and private capital, benefiting from numerous infrastructure, industrial and technological interventions, and showcasing solid, innovative supply chains that are increasingly open to international markets.”
• The Research Department highlights the responsiveness of Campania’s companies to US tariffs and projects strong turnover growth

Milan, 23 September 2025 – Obiettivo Italia 2025, the initiative by Intesa Sanpaolo’s IMI Corporate & Investment Banking Division, led by Mauro Micillo, makes a stop in Naples, further strengthening the dialogue with companies across the country’s strategic industrial sectors.

The event was attended by over 60 representatives from Southern Italy’s entrepreneurial sector, joining the approximately 230 participants already involved in the previous stages in Vicenza, Florence, Lonato del Garda and Turin. This represents one of the highest levels of participation recorded so far, confirming the value of initiatives that foster direct dialogue and active listening to business needs, promoting constructive discussions around the challenges and opportunities faced by the productive sectors.

The event addressed topics including the rapidly evolving macroeconomic scenario, the need for risk management as a strategic lever, the influence of energy costs and sustainable pathways, as well as the new frontiers of digitalisation.

“In recent years, Southern Italy has established itself as an attractive hub for both public and private capital, benefiting from numerous infrastructure, industrial and technological interventions, and showcasing solid, innovative supply chains that are increasingly open to international markets,” stated Michele Sorrentino, Head of the IMI CIB Italian Network at Intesa Sanpaolo. “With Obiettivo Italia, the IMI CIB Division reaffirms its role as a partner, offering strategic consultancy and tailored financial solutions to enhance regional excellence and support sustainable and competitive growth in an evolving environment.”

In the Southern Region, the Italian Network of the IMI Corporate & Investment Banking Division operates through corporate centres in Naples and Bari–Palermo, with a team of 26 professionals. The area covers six regions (Campania, Puglia, Sicily, Basilicata, Calabria, Sardinia) and serves more than 900 companies linked to around 210 business groups. Average cash loans in 2024 amounted to €3 billion.

In the coming weeks, Obiettivo Italia 2025 will continue with stops in Milan, Bologna and Rome, confirming the role of the IMI CIB Division as a key partner for the growth and transformation of Italian companies.

The macroeconomic scenario in uncertain times. Priorities for Italy’s and Campania’s economic fabric

According to analyses by Intesa Sanpaolo’s Research Department, the impact of tariffs on the Italian manufacturing system may be offset by the quality of Italian products and the diversification strategies companies are adopting for export markets.

Alongside Germany, Italy is the European economy most exposed to the US market, with the United States accounting for 10.4% of Italian export.

Campania is also particularly active in this market: in 2024, exports to the United States amounted to €1.9 billion, approximately 9% of the region’s total exports. The leading sector for exports from Campania to the US was agri-food, with €913 million (+€111 million vs 2023), followed by automotive with €326 million (down from €997 million in 2023, when it was the top sector), then fashion with €114 million (–€5 million vs 2023), aerospace with €94 million (€252 million in 2023), mechanical engineering with €83 million (–€39 million), and electrotechnical and household appliances with €76 million (+€25 million vs 2023). Among these sectors, the share of exports to the US is particularly high for automotive (20%) and agri-food (16%), around 13% for aerospace and mechanical engineering, and 11% for fashion. The importance of the US market is further confirmed by Campania’s substantial trade surplus with the US in 2024, amounting to €1.1 billion.

An internal survey conducted with colleagues at Intesa Sanpaolo working on internationalisation identified how companies are responding to US tariffs. Italian and Campanian businesses are showing strong responsiveness by seeking new customers in other markets, while also expressing interest in opening new commercial and production branches in the United States.

Campania’s industrial base benefits from solid diversification: beyond pharmaceuticals and agri-food — the top two export sectors, together accounting for 60% of the total — the region also specialises in fashion (5%), electrotechnical and household appliances (4%), and aerospace (3%). The Research Department monitors nine industrial districts in Campania, which in 2024 generated €4.6 billion in exports, maintaining 2023 levels.

In addition, Campania’s economy has shown its ability to seize opportunities in new markets. Between 2019 and 2024, the top fifteen markets for export growth included Poland (+€203 million, +84%), Turkey (+€192 million, +69%), the UAE (+€147 million, +205%) and Saudi Arabia (+€75 million, +78%).

In 2025, growth in Campania will also be supported by household consumption, benefiting from the recovery of purchasing power. Lower interest rates will support a resurgence in investment, especially among young and innovative companies. An additional boost is expected from the accelerated implementation of the NRRP funds over the next two years.

A survey by Intesa Sanpaolo’s Research Department among staff in contact with corporate clients reveals moderate optimism about Campania: turnover growth expectations are above the national average, even among smaller businesses, driven by sectors such as utilities, tourism, agri-food, mechanical engineering, electrotechnics, transport and logistics.

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Media Relations

Intesa Sanpaolo

Corporate & Investment Banking and Governance Areas

stampa@intesasanpaolo.com