Statement by Marco Bonometti, President of Confindustria Lombardia

Milan, 6 November 2018 – Italy’s manufacturing engine, following a series of quarters of sustained and steady growth, is slowing down and risks stalling unless the conditions favourable to business development and growth, which Confindustria has long been calling for, are created. Employment is a concern, with a flat labour market, despite the positive reabsorption of almost 100% of the redundancy fund.

PRIORITIES – ‘We must recover the confidence that entrepreneurs seem to have lost in recent months due to the many points of uncertainty, both internal and external. At a national level, we are witnessing political choices that run counter to the strong stimulus our economy needs, while in parallel, we face a slowdown in global trade and uncertainties at a European level, with a potential upheaval of the community’s political structures on the horizon. To react and overcome this stalemate, we must move from talk to concrete action by strengthening the internal market, investing in training—particularly in Industry 4.0—and restarting both public and private investment in infrastructure and major works.’

TRAINING AND INDUSTRY 4.0 – ‘We are in a phase where companies are struggling to find technical profiles on the market due to the chronic mismatch between labour supply and demand. A series of professional roles are disappearing while new ones are emerging, and it is currently difficult to predict the profiles companies will require in 10 years’ time. And what is the government doing? It has decided to cut the tax credit for training workers in Industry 4.0 firms and, even more seriously, is reducing school-work placement programmes by cutting hours and funding. Vocational training must be re-evaluated with adequate resources. Investments in human capital are strategic and forward-looking for a country that is struggling to grow.’

INFRASTRUCTURE – ‘For decades, we have maintained the need to complete strategic works to foster the development of our economic fabric and bring our businesses closer to global markets. We must proceed with the construction of strategic projects such as the Turin-Lyon high-speed rail line, as well as the Terzo Valico and the Pedemontana, to better connect our regions with Europe and allow manufacturers to increase their competitiveness. Projects already defined must not be blocked. Instead, we need to find different ways to assign new works, ensuring their utility and proper completion within certain and rapid timeframes.

For Confindustria Lombardia, it is also necessary to contribute to resolving the problems of goods circulation caused by restrictive measures on crossing bridges, viaducts, and overpasses, and to speed up the procedures for issuing permits for exceptional transport.’

Attachments

• CScongiuntura-3trim18.pdf
• dichiarazione_congiunturale_IIItrim2018_6nov2018.pdf
• allegato_industria_3_2018.pdf