Italian companies are very resilient, €14 bln of PNRR projects need to start to strengthen sector with a shared strategy among all players in field

MILAN, May 23, 2022 – “This is a unique moment for Italy. The resources available can ensure a structured recovery of the sector that would involve the entire supply chain, which is made up of SMEs (small- and medium-sized enterprises) that would be able to take advantage of a partnership system with a leading  player. The tendering process of projects included in the PNRR (National Recovery and Resilience Plan) worth a combined €14 billion must be accelerated since contracts must be awarded by December of this year. The PNRR is an important instrument when combined with other instruments available like resources from the balance sheet and those that already exist, as well as those in the next seven years of the FAS (Fondo per lo sviluppo e la coesione, or the Development and Cohesion Fund), which alone has about €100 billion,” said Pietro Salini, Chief Executive of Webuild, at a presentation of the report entitled “Italia Genera Futuro” organised by Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera about virtuous and successful Italian SMEs.

“In order to safeguard the sustainability of projects and ensure the soundness of SMEs that work in the sector, a structured price mechanism must be introduced. The government is already working on this issue but a general contractor model is needed, that can guide the supply chain of SMEs, even in activities like maintenance. And it is crucial to support and facilitate investments in training to quickly create those figures that are needed when the planned investment programmes kick in.”

“The future of the sector rests on two fundamental conditions: guaranteeing the highest level of safety and ensuring the sustainability of projects with the right level of return on capital along the entire supply chain,” said Salini. “As a system, we need to ensure that the resources that are available to the country help restart the sector within the framework of an integrated system that can guarantee the correct execution of the projects and, in particular, promote the development of new multidisciplinary and integrated professional skills.”

Salini concluded: “The SMEs are the backbone of our country’s economy. They belong to an enterprise model that is showing itself to be agile in times of great change for economic and production models. Webuild has a supply chain of 8,000 businesses for infrastructure in Italy. Just in 2021, we handed out contracts to more than 1,700 SMEs, 1,200 of which with revenues under €50 million. In the infrastructure sector, size counts, and it makes a difference because investments and new skills are needed. For this reason, Webuild plans to strengthen a production model with a leading company in the sector and projects of engagement for all SMEs whose size and structure are not suitable for investing resources in innovation, safety and sustainability. With this in mind, we launched the Supplier Development Hub, a platform that aims to support the supply chain and help its transformation in terms of sustainability.”