ROME (ITALPRESS) – Research and development for internationalization and competitiveness: these were the topics at the center of the “Chemical Innovation” meeting held this morning in the prestigious setting of Villa Madama in Rome.
The appointment, desired by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation in collaboration with Federchimica, brought together institutions, associations, research organizations and representatives of the financial world with the aim of highlighting the strategic role of chemistry for the growth and development of the country as an accelerator of the internationalization of “Made in Italy.”
“I am very pleased to host here at Villa Madama this important event dedicated to a key sector of our industrial fabric. The chemical sector has a cascading impact on an infinite number of sectors of our economy, and the report we are presenting today captures the role of chemistry as an accelerator of innovation, exports, and growth,” said Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Antonio Tajani. “We want to put our companies in the best conditions to grow and create wealth. We have strengthened the growth team, ICE, SACE, SIMEST, Cassa Depositi e Prestiti, all present today, which is at the side of our companies to help them grow in international circuits. Since the beginning of my mandate, I have put in place a precise strategy of Growth Diplomacy, in favor of exports and for the internationalization of our territories. That is why we have launched in these days a strategy of further strengthening and diversification of our outlet markets. We look carefully at all the most promising emerging markets with a view to diversification.”
“The chemical industry in Italy is one of the pillars of our economy,” recalled Adolfo Urso, minister of Enterprise and Made in Italy, “with a turnover of 77 billion euros and a central role in Europe, being third in production after Germany and France. We intend to make this sector increasingly competitive, innovative and sustainable, focusing on research and internationalization. These are the strategic engines that will drive the future development of Italian chemistry and contribute to the country’s economic and social growth.”
“Chemistry is at the center of the scientific and industrial transformation of our time. Its transversality makes it an engine of innovation in many areas, from the environment to health, from industry to new materials,” said the Minister of University and Research, Anna Maria Bernini. “With 125 degree programs in Italy, chemical education is evolving to meet the challenges of the labor market and society, with highly specialized pathways oriented toward sustainability and new technologies. Italian universities, with increasingly cutting-edge courses, demonstrate how research and internationalization are strategic levers for the future of chemistry and the entire country.”
“Chemistry is a strategic sector of the European economy, it has a pervasive and enabling character: 95 percent of all manufactured goods, already in common use or to become so in the future, are available at largely affordable costs thanks to chemistry. The chemical industry, characterized by high-value specialties, offers the technological solutions that make possible the development and production of many finished products,” said Francesco Buzzella, president of Federchimica. In terms of competitiveness in global markets, geopolitics has entered powerfully into our businesses with significant repercussions in terms of sustainable management of raw materials and energy costs, aspects that are crucial to counter global competition, particularly from countries that do not always respect the same environmental, social and safety standards as we do.”
“Chemical companies in Italy are strongly export-oriented and are leading players in international collaborations thanks to the strong innovative drive given by their DNA: they export technologies and skills, consolidating the sector’s international presence and contributing to the strengthening of Made in Italy globally,” Buzzella added. “Suffice it to say that Italian chemical exports, from 2010 to 2023, grew by 85 percent (source: EUROSTAT) with a total value that reached 40.6 billion euros, 6.4 percent of total national exports. The demand for innovative products with high specialty stimulates exports. Contextually, research supports internationalization by developing materials, products, innovative solutions that have greater demand in foreign markets, strengthening the entire Italian manufacturing system.”
International comparison indicates that the U.S. is the top destination market for European chemicals and China is the top supplier for Europe. In this scenario, China mainly produces low-cost commodities, while the US is also looking for innovative specialties. In Italy, chemistry is among the sectors with the most widespread presence of innovative companies (80 percent), and unlike other industries, innovation is based on research. In fact, the chemical industry is the first sector-after pharmaceuticals-in terms of the share of companies conducting R&D (75 percent). Research involves not only the larger entities, but also SMEs.
Within Europe, Italy is the second largest country, after Germany, in terms of the number of chemical companies active in research, more than 1,200. According to the anticipation of a survey on the value of chemical research as a multiplier of internationalization and competitiveness, investment in the Italian chemical industry touches 3.8 percent on revenues, a percentage that puts the sector well above the 3 percent set by the EU as a target; in companies with high added value and specialization, investment in R&D exceeds the 5 percent threshold. At the same time, 81.5 percent of firms have invested to seize opportunities abroad, 35.4 percent have invested abroad (alone or in joint), and 74.1 percent are engaged in international projects. More than half of enterprises rate research as important to make their way in international markets. Data that reiterate the strategic value of chemical innovation for expansion into foreign markets. In fact, research generates competitiveness and opens the way to foreign markets with important positive returns for the whole Country System: three quarters of companies have international collaboration programs confirming the propensity of companies to research and the contribution that chemistry in Italy offers to the international presence of Italian industry in general.
Italy’s chemical exports have grown over the past 30 years and are now worth 4.4 percent of the world total, with positive performance even when compared with France and Germany thanks to the driving force of the many niches of specialization within downstream chemicals in a context of complex rules and high costs starting with energy. “The competitiveness of European industry is at risk in areas that were traditionally its strengths, as highlighted by the Draghi Report to the European Commission. The lag in common choices on competitiveness and the over-regulatory culture are obstacles that must be removed as soon as possible to safeguard a valuable and irreplaceable technological infrastructure for our country. Investing in chemical research means pushing competitiveness in foreign markets and generating broad spillovers. Consider that additional investments of 400 million euros in high-specialty chemistry generate 1.6 billion euros of spillovers in the sector and as much as 6 billion euros of spillover effect, on the entire Italian economy,” said Federchimica’s Vice President for Research, Ilaria Di Lorenzo.
-Photo Federchimica press office.
(ITALPRESS).
