Culture, we need an industrial strategy
The 'dear old culture' is no longer enough. This is not a provocation, let alone a rejection of what has been. It is, rather, an acknowledgement of a necessary evolution. It is so because the transformation processes that are affecting our economy present heterogeneous and changing dynamics, where exogenous variables play an increasingly important role.
by Federico Freni*.
3' min read
3' min read
The 'dear old culture' is no longer enough. This is not a provocation, let alone a rejection of what has been. It is, rather, an acknowledgement of a necessary evolution. It is so because the transformation processes that are affecting our economy present heterogeneous and changing dynamics, where exogenous variables play an increasingly important role. It would be illusory to imagine solitary paths alien to a global or globalised scenario that, on the contrary, solicits and stimulates virtuous contaminations, while respecting the specificities of individual countries.
It is therefore within this perimeter that national policies must rediscover the challenge of cultural identity. An identity that must be declined also, if not above all, in a productive dimension, where the cultural and creative industry shapes the country's growth model. The impact is not only the direct one on GDP: the added value of this sector is given by its capacity to intercept countless dimensions, from sustainability to social inclusion, cohesion and innovation.
It is, in other words, a vector running through all the components of growth, with a multiplier effect that is too often underestimated.
Updating the challenge implies long-term planning that defines an identity capable of combining the solidity of tradition with new opportunities. The starting point is solid, as the data of the latest Symbola Foundation Report attest: the cultural system generated an added value of 104.3 billion in 2023, an increase of 12.7% compared to 2019 (see Il Sole 24 Ore of 20 September). However, if the sectors that benefited from this trend are also taken into account, this value rises to 296.9 billion. The driving effect of the sector is evident. And it is even more so if one looks at the contribution that the NRP is making. Here too, the figures show that the petrol poured into the engine is fulfilling its function: Italy is among the countries that are spending the Plan's resources allocated to culture better and faster. With the Plan it was decided to focus on investments - the energy efficiency of physical places, from theatres to museums, and the improvement of accessibility and environmental sustainability - and reforms that combine the valorisation of the current heritage with innovative actions for the creation of a digital heritage of culture that is also functional to facilitate the development of a complementary market of cultural services for businesses. This working method should be a benchmark for future actions.
But the legacy that the NRP leaves us is also, if not above all, a legacy in method. Stable growth requires, first and foremost, investment planning: we need multi-year strategic plans, no longer mere annual projections.
