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The propensity of Emilia-Romagna’s manufacturing firms to invest has been confirmed by the figures for 2008 and predictions for 2009. This is the result of research by Confindustria into a cross-section of 502 regional firms with a total of 43,000 employees. Of these, 82.9% predict new investment for 2009.  The most strategic areas for the future are R&D (44.8% of firms), training (43.2%), production lines (40.4%) and ICT (36.3%).

The regional firms are responding to the fall in demand in international trade, in particular by developing products and enlarging and diversifying new markets. In fact forecasts, for both manufacturing and commercial foreign investment, show an increase with respect to 2008. In some sectors, such as chemical production, commitments for development are essential, and in fact all firms foresee new investment for 2009. Propensity for investment in the food sector is also on the increase, particularly in R&D.

The high level of confidence and competitiveness of regional production is also the result of exceptional co-operation between the Emilia-Romagna region and the entrepreneurial sector, with the allocation of additional resources to tackle the global recession. The sum of 80m euro was allocated to research, export, organizational and energy development projects with 50m euro directed to reduce the cost of loans and an additional 97m euro for training. The welfare system has also been strengthened.

Sources: Confindustria Emilia-Romagna “Research into investments by manufacturing firms from Emilia-Romagna 2009”; Sole24ore CentroNord, 29/07/09; ERMES Imprese.