“In the infrastructure sector, we must aim for an integrated model with a premium supply chain led by big contractors to improve competitiveness at the global level”

MILAN, July 12, 2023 – "We must move beyond the logic of the PNRR (National Plan for Recovery and Resilience) that looks to 2026 and create long-term programmes to redesign the Italy that we want to become. The infrastructure sector must continue to look to an integrated model with the supply chain led by large companies that work as main contractors to make the productive system become more competitive. This model is essential in an economic and geopolitical context that continues to change quickly in order to ensure an effective management of the new challenges brought about by innovation, energy transition and sustainability," said Webuild Chief Executive Pietro Salini at CEO Talk "L'impresa del Futuro. Sostenibile, Inclusiva e Tecnologica” (The company of the future: sustainable, inclusive, and technological). Organized by RCS Academy with the Corriere della Sera newspaper and BCG, it brought together CEOs, chairpersons and managers from large companies to discuss strategies needed to meet innovation, digital and sustainability challenges.

“Infrastructure is driving development and employment, thanks to the favourable conditions created by the PNRR and the simplification that the new “Codice degli Appalti” (Code for Public Tenders) will bring. This is why we must overcome the problem of fragmentation to ensure that high-quality projects can be delivered on time. Smaller companies that connect to each other and larger companies that work as main contractors would allow for the creation of economies of scale. They would share the benefits of investments being carried out by larger companies to meet the growing demand from clients for more technological content in infrastructure. It would also meet the need for more training and safety, and a greater monitoring of transparency and legality. With regard to innovation, from 2017 to 2022, the Webuild Group invested €148 million in innovation, with 380 people, on average, involved in R&D projects," continued Salini.

The Bank of Italy estimates that 62,000 people will be newly employed, annually, through the PNRR, with a huge demand for specialized workers and employees, especially in the south of Italy. “This a unique opportunity for young people who are entering the labour market. But it would also allow unemployed people or those without the required skills to work again with greater ease. Webuild has numerous initiatives in place to support professional growth in our sector. Just like our “Scuola di Mestieri” (Trades School) that trains professional figures to employ in projects that the Group is building in Italy and globally," he added.