Innovation and internationalization, together with structural and modern reforms are the basic ingredients of the Italian recovery which the food industry is rightly experiencing. This was stated by the president of the young entrepreneurs of Federalimentare, Franceso Divella, who stressed “the boom in food exports, which in the first six months of the year grew by 7.3% compared to the same period in 2014, while the overall country’s growth rate stops at + 5%”.
This result comes from the industry’s vocation for innovation, “even during the crisis we have never stopped focusing on quality, says Divella. The food industry annually invests 10 billion euro, 8% of turnover in research and development. And 1.8% in product and process innovation. The know-how that the world recognizes in Italian food comes from a traditional knowledge that continues to look to the future. We young entrepreneurs know that this will be the key to competing in the global market. ”
The X Forum of Young Entrepreneurs of Federalimentare, which was held at the prestigious CibusèItalia Pavilion at Expo, was an opportunity to experience a new format of discussion across sectors: starting from the food industry, categories in the manufacturing sector that best convey the excellence Italian were compared (food, fashion and furniture). Sectors that represent the exaltation of the Italian savoir faire, the main lever, according to the young industry, for economic recovery of the country. Alessandra Lanza, Prometeia manager of industrial strategy, also contributed to the analysis, and presented the results of their latest research “Exporting the dolce vita”, carried out with the Centro Studi Confindustria, on the prospects of exporting the country’s excellence, in particular in reference to the Chinese market and to e-commerce. Prospects which are all the more important – it was pointed out – in the light of the continuing stagnation in domestic consumption. Francesco Divella, president of the young entrepreneurs of Federalimentare, has highlighted the “path created within the confederal system, which seeks to create promotional and image synergies between the three sectors of the Forum. It should make the most of the investments and returns in this direction – said Divella – because in the medium term the only real spaces for expansion, result essentially from foreign markets”.