A manifesto for logistics competitiveness from Transpotec

Logistics: cost for companies or lever of their competitiveness? Invisible sector or precious thread linking different industrial sectors? According to the latest Bank of Italy survey on international goods transport, the incidence of transport costs on Italy's interchange is rising (in 2024 it was 2.5% on exports and 4.2% on imports) and the consequences of international tensions, on fuels as on supply chains, promise to accentuate this trend. On the other hand, because of its enabling value for the efficiency of production chains, for market integration and investment attractiveness - indicates a report by Cassa Depositi e Prestiti - it is an invisible pivot for development, so much so that 1 million euro invested in the sector is capable of generating 2.1 million in additional production between direct and indirect impacts.

The knots of the sector and the 19th place in the World Bank index
The crossroads of logistics will be at the centre of the debate at Transpotec Logitec 2026, which will be held at Fiera Milano from 13 to 16 May, and will have its hub in the Fiap Logistic Village where operators in the sector, contracting companies and institutions will meet. On the table will be everything that slows down the sector - from tax burdens to the pollutant emission trading mechanism (ETS), to the interruptions of the Alpine passes, to the knot of waiting times and payment times, to underdeveloped intermodality - and that leads Italia, a G7 country in terms of economic importance, to have, according to the World Bank's Logicistcs Performance Index, the 19th worst logistics system globally. The parameters considered are the efficiency of the customs system, the quality of infrastructure (ports, railways, roads, IT platforms), the ease of shipping at competitive prices, the quality of services offered, tracking, and punctuality.

Fiap: Many interventions in recent years, some steps forward
"In recent years," explains the secretary general of Fiap Autostraporti, Alessandro Peron, "there have been, also with our work and contribution, several important regulations - such as the abolition of Art for road haulage, the new highway code, the interventions on Sea Modal Shift and Ferrobonus, the reverse charge - and also measures that we like less, such as the one on pallet exchange. Others concerned waiting times and payment times: measures that help transport and logistics companies to be competitive and to be more regulated in an environment that must be competitive'.

At Transpotec 2026 a hub for dialogue with companies and ministries
The 2024 version of Fiap Logistic Village had around four thousand visitors, 35 speakers and a strong presence of institutions. It must become,' Peron added, presenting the new edition, 'a space for dialogue that is transversal to the various ministries just as transversal as logistics is: "We will have events in which we will talk with the Ministry of Transport about incentives and regulations in the world of transport, with the Ministry of Agriculture about the agri-food chain, with the Ministry of Enterprise we will discuss new distribution chains and the change in distribution models for SMEs linked to e-commerce, with the Ministry of the Environment about Ets, with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs about free destination, free warehouse and the control of the chain also in exports, with the Ministry of Labour about the difficulties of finding skills and we will also talk about how to make the Mattei plan more effective". The dialogue will then involve the regions and representatives of the European Parliament.

At the Fiap Village more space for logistics service principals
This year's edition of the 'Village' aims to expand the presence of principals, from the food sector thanks to the concomitance with Tuttofood, to fashion, industry, pharmaceuticals and other production sectors. Reserved spaces for dialogue on supply chain trends will be made available to logistics managers and buyers. "It will be a place," observes the Fiap secretary general, "where buyers of logistics services can come and listen to what the trends are and what the regulations are, and will be able to dialogue with transport companies. It will therefore not only be a space for insiders, but suitable for industrial companies'.