Confindustria Lombardia 2025 Internationalisation Survey: India and Saudi Arabia identified as new prospect countries; over 7 out of 10 companies report having modified their strategy in response to geopolitical changes; exports remain the preferred method for international engagement.

Milan, 8 July 2025 – The presentation event for the 2025 Internationalisation Survey by Confindustria Lombardia and Assolombarda, conducted with other regional associations and in collaboration with ISPI and SACE, took place today at Palazzo Gio Ponti in Milan.

The 2025 edition of the Survey, conducted on a sample of 1,012 manufacturing companies in the Lombardy region active in foreign markets, examines in particular the impact of geopolitics on companies' strategic and organisational decisions.

Opening the event, the President of Confindustria Lombardia, Giuseppe Pasini, highlighted that “in a scenario of global chaos, the internationalisation survey clearly shows that internationalised Lombard companies are aware of the challenges and are adapting rapidly to changes and shocks. Integrated into the main international value chains, they exported €164 billion in 2024 and generate over 44% of their turnover abroad. In this phase of uncertainty, and with a Europe that, rather than being an added value, is the weak link in the production fabric, manufacturing companies are proving to be one of the few certainties for a future still defined by competitiveness and progress.”

For Assolombarda Vice President Veronica Squinzi “in a highly complex economic and political scenario, our companies are demonstrating, as always, a high capacity for adaptation: they are investing in technology and, with tenacity, are focused on international markets thanks to their competitive ability,” declared the Assolombarda Vice President with responsibility for Internationalisation, Veronica Squinzi. “However, more must be done to support them in their efforts to grasp the changes underway, while they are simultaneously completing the digital and ecological transition. In particular, an effective industrial policy is required, capable of addressing the new frontiers of innovation and AI. Companies that are already oriented towards internationalisation must also be guided towards new emerging markets: they need new trade routes to focus on international exports with greater reach. To do this, a system strategy is needed, aimed at promoting long-term competitiveness through a public-private alliance.”

During the panel dedicated to internationalisation experiences, the consequences of geopolitical factors on corporate strategies were explored through the direct testimonies of entrepreneurs Daniele Bellante, CEO of CAMA Group, Michela Conterno, CEO of LATI Industria Termoplastici Spa, Claudia Persico, Vice President & Rotational Director of Persico Group, Walter Pozzi, Chairman of the Board of SAIP Srl, and Graziano Fumarola, COO & Procurement of Ancorotti Cosmetics Spa.

Key findings of the 2025 Internationalisation Survey:

- 65.5% of internationalised manufacturing companies consider geopolitical scenarios to be the macro-trend with the greatest influence on strategic choices, followed by technological evolution (26%) and access to critical raw materials (18.1%);

- More than 7 out of 10 companies report having modified their strategy in response to the geopolitical changes underway: 28.1% are evaluating counterparties more carefully, 25% are reviewing budgets more frequently, and 23.1% have redirected their exports;

- Geopolitical scenarios also impact internal organisation: 30.5% of the companies interviewed have increased the centrality of their internationalisation activities, 26.1% are managing procurement with greater attention, and 13.2% are focusing more on legal and customs aspects;

- 95% of the Lombard companies interviewed export, confirming that trade is the preferred method for international engagement, followed by the import of materials (58.5%) and the purchase of plant and technology (8.6%);

- 30% of Lombard exporting companies have at least one digital export channel active;

- The share of turnover generated abroad has risen to 44.7% (44.2% in 2023);

- 21 countries are served, a decrease compared to the 23 of two years ago;

- European markets remain the primary sales destinations, with Germany (50.5%) and France (49%) followed by the United States (30.3%), the leading non-European trading partner, and Spain (29.8%). China remains stable in eighth place (10.8%);

- Among the prospect countries where companies are most interested in expanding over the next 4 years, in addition to the established United States (21.3%) and Germany (16.4%), the new entry India (15%) is in third place. The other development is the entry of Saudi Arabia into the top 10 (10%);

- Regarding supply chains, 14.4% of Lombard manufacturing companies replaced one or more foreign suppliers in 2024, 15.6% had changed suppliers before 2024, while 6.8% are considering doing so in the near future; 51.1% of those who changed supply networks replaced a foreign partner with one located in Europe, Italy, or Lombardy, while 27.7% replaced them with non-EU suppliers;

The event, moderated by journalist Armando Stella, also featured contributions from Antonio Villafranca, Research Director at ISPI – Italian Institute for International Political Studies, with a keynote speech on ‘Trump’s World: Geopolitics and Economy’, and Stefania Saini from the Assolombarda Research Centre, who was responsible for the detailed presentation of the Survey.

Attachments

• 250708 - 2025 Internationalisation Survey Report - WEB.pdf
• PR_Internationalisation_Survey_8July2025.pdf