Foreign investments, average value increases

From Japan to Italy, with 11 offices and about 6,000 employees, 2,100 of which at the Milan headquarters, where in recent years the presence of NTT Data (a global company that deals with accompanying companies in their digital transformation) has been strengthened with new spaces and skills. "Investments are aimed not only at increasing the company's presence, but also at creating ecosystems of collaboration with universities, research centres and start-ups in the area," explains Ludovico Diaz, CEO of NTT Data Italia. "We chose Milan as our headquarters because it represents a unique balance point between technological innovation, entrepreneurial culture and international vision. In Lombardy, consolidated industrial realities, cutting-edge research centres and a network of universities and start-ups coexist, making the area a natural laboratory for experimentation and shared growth."

That of NTT Data - which has been present in Italy since 2011 - is just one of the many examples of the Lombardy region's ability to attract investment from abroad, especially in highly innovative sectors. Despite the well-known difficulties of the Italian context for those doing business: 'There are still many challenges to be faced, from the simplification of administrative processes to the creation of a more agile regulatory framework for innovation,' adds Ludovico Diaz, 'but these are elements that can be overcome by enhancing what already distinguishes this territory: the quality of human capital, the ability to collaborate, and a shared vision of progress. In this balance between ambition and concreteness lies the value of our commitment to the territory.

Precisely in order to support foreign companies that, attracted by these elements of competitiveness, intend to invest (or consolidate investments) in the area, the Lombardy Region - in collaboration with other entities such as Unioncamere Lombardia and Promos Italia - in various projects and initiatives, including Invest in Lombardy.

Grazie anche a questa iniziativa, tra il 2020 e settembre 2025 la Lombardia ha catalizzato 487 progetti d’investimento estero per un totale di 13,9 miliardi di euro e 24.755 posti di lavoro, secondo i dati elaborati da Promos Italia. È interessante notare che il trend è in costante crescita, nonostante l’apparente battuta d’arresto del 2023, che in realtà registrò un buon numero di progetti (82) e valori (quasi due miliardi), ma si confrontava con un 2022 record in Lombarda come in tutta Italia, con 103 progetti e 2,1 miliardi di euro di investimenti. Ebbene, il 2025 potrebbe superare tale cifra ma, soprattutto, al di là del numero è il valore del capex medio, in costante crescita dal 2021, a confermare la capacità attrattiva della regione, con una media di 69,8 milioni di euro a progetto nei primi nove mesi dell’anno, contro i 20,9 del 2022. Segno che cresce non solo il numero delle aziende interessate a investire in Lombardia, ma soprattutto cresce la dimensione dei progetti avviati e, di con

In this positive context, despite the difficulties of the global economy, the new strategy for attracting foreign investments presented by the Lombardy Region a few weeks ago fits in. "For the first time, the Region has a precise strategy that, in addition to accompanying and supporting foreign investors, provides for an internal organisation that has the task of searching for these investors, selecting them from the different production sectors and geographies on the basis of precise market analyses," explains the Regional Councillor for Economic Development, Guido Guidesi. The new strategy aims to attract high value-added investments in strategic sectors (such as ICT, life sciences, chemistry, electronics, aerospace, agro-food and advanced services) and promote the image of Lombardy through an integrated communication and marketing plan.