Former Ilva: Gozzi (Federacciai) – no decision has yet been taken on the consortium’s withdrawal

Regarding the possible withdrawal of the Italian consortium from the bid to acquire the former Ilva, “no decision has yet been taken; the newspapers are reporting rumours”, but “when it is taken”, it will be officially announced. This was stated by Antonio Gozzi, vice-president of Confindustria with responsibility for competitiveness, European strategic autonomy and the Mattei Plan, and president of Federacciai, at the meeting ‘From “Supply Chain” to “System”. Value and Opportunities of the Italian Energy and Nuclear Industry’, organised by Ansaldo Nucleare, currently taking place in Rome at Palazzo Merulana.

“When we do make a decision,” Gozzi reiterated on the sidelines, “we will act responsibly; we will inform the press of the decision and any reasons behind it. We have until Sunday.”

Gozzi explained that the stakes are also high with regard to one of the ‘most important plants in the world’, in Taranto, ‘which produces 4.5-metre-wide sheets that are not available on the market’ and that today ‘the difficulties in the Strait of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb are forcing the Saudis, Emiratis, Qataris and Kuwaitis to consider bypassing the blockades at Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb by creating alternative supply routes’. In Gozzi’s view, the ‘Italia system’ has ‘the opportunity to play a crucial strategic role vis-à-vis the Gulf states, making them less dependent on India’, and it is essential ‘that someone, and I have, of course, raised this issue with the Italian government as well’, must take charge of this ‘because we risk missing out on a tremendous strategic opportunity for industrial policy and internationalisation’.