MILAN, February 22, 2022 – Webuild Chief Executive Pietro Salini told the Financial Times newspaper in an interview that the National Recovery and Resilience Fund (PNRR in Italian) represented the opportunity for Italy to make necessary reforms, improve its public administration, and give the country adequate and sustainable infrastructure, especially in the south. Salini also underlined the importance of having all interested parties work together to support the country’s long-term growth. 

Salini spoke of how the Group is the biggest infrastructure group in Italy, with expertise acquired from working on some of the most complex projects in the world, such as the Grand Paris Express in France, the high-speed railway in Texas and the Brenner Base Tunnel between Austria and Italy as well as the recently completed Genoa San Giorgio Bridge. He added that these very projects represented the consolidated expertise that the Group is able to use to benefit the country’s needs.

Salini said the transition to cleaner energy was one of the biggest challenges for Italy, explaining how it had to reduce its dependence on gas. “We must also aim for realistic renewable energy sources, which can cater to our industries… solar and wind can’t be those sources,” he said. ”To rule out recourse to nuclear energy is crazy”.

Salini stated that the plan is an opportunity to guarantee long-term growth and create jobs for young people and the unemployed. Webuild plans to hire 9,000 people in Italy in 2022 to support the many initiatives being rolled out under the plan.

The PNRR was also seen as an opportunity to create greater cohesion among the regions and develop southern Italy. “It currently takes a whole day to travel [by road or rail] from Sicily to Milan. Obviously, this is a big limit to the competitiveness and productivity of our country,” he said.

Salini spoke of the right conditions to overcome hurdles caused by bureaucracy, rising costs, the need to train new professionals, and the lack of safety and sustainability standards. “I see a generalised willingness to succeed. And we benefit greatly from the credibility of Prime Minister Draghi and President Mattarella,” he said.