Cars: 930 million for the sector, with uncertainty over the rules
The new automotive Dpcm allocates 70 per cent of total resources to companies engaged in research and development
The European automotive industry is facing one of the most daunting challenges of recent decades: restructuring itself without being stifled by environmental sustainability regulations.
Measures to ensure the survival of the supply chain
In Italia, to formulate an industrial policy response, there is an Automotive Fund launched in 2022 by the Draghi government. Now, a Dpcm – that is, a decree by the Prime Minister – has finally unlocked a series of measures for the sector, which is striving to survive and, if possible, to revitalise itself in the face of competition from China, the shift towards electric vehicles and the rapid digitalisation of models, which are increasingly becoming mobile platforms equipped with artificial intelligence.
In total, around 630 million euros have been allocated to innovation agreements and 300 million to development contracts for manufacturers and component suppliers. The funds will be allocated across three distinct research and development objectives: low-emission systems and models, in line with the Green Deal; connected and intelligent vehicle systems; and, finally, industrial diversification and restructuring towards strategic dual-use technologies, which therefore also have potential applications in the defence sector.
To find out about the implementation rules and application deadlines, companies will have to wait for a further measure – a ministerial decree from the Ministry of Enterprise and Made in Italy. In the meantime, however, it is already possible to reflect on some of the key issues.
Scissor-cut hem
Firstly, the issue of resources. The Fund had already been heavily cut – by almost 4.5 billion euros – under the 2025 Budget Act. It has now emerged that the remaining allocation – which stood at 1.6 billion to be distributed up to 2030 – has been further reduced by almost 260 million to cover the costs of the fuel decree. This brings the final figure to 1.35 billion, of which 70 per cent is for the supply chain and the remainder is earmarked for various demand-side incentives (commercial vehicles, motorbikes and scooters, conversion of cars to LPG and CNG systems, subsidised long-term hire for those with an ISEE of less than 30,000 euros).
