Lunelli: ‘Italia’s competitiveness hinges on human capital’
According to the president of the Foundation, which brings together more than 120 of Italy’s leading companies in the cultural and creative industries, our country must ‘nurture young talent and make work more attractive’.
“Italia’s competitiveness hinges on human capital: training, recruitment and career development of future generations within companies,” emphasises Matteo Lunelli, who has been at the helm of Altagamma for six years and is today in Rome to mark the 2026 Day, the last of his presidency, for a Foundation that brings together more than 120 of Italy’s leading companies in the high-end cultural and creative industries. Italia faces a structural challenge that concerns demographics, employment, competitiveness and growth. “We have the lowest number of graduates in Europe,” explained Lunelli. “Only 68% of graduates aged between 25 and 34 are in employment, compared to 83.5% across Europe, and the average age of CEOs of listed companies is around 60. Many young people are leaving a country where life is good but work can sometimes be difficult. Italia must harness the talent of young people and make work more attractive.”
Chairman, why does Altagamma deal with these issues, and how exactly does it do so?
Because it is a strategic issue for the future of Italian manufacturing. In our discussions with Altagamma companies, we have seen that many have already implemented advanced approaches to engaging young people and providing in-house training. The Foundation can become a benchmark for best practices in youth management, making work more attractive and rewarding for the younger generation, whilst also setting an example for other sectors. Whereas in the past we focused on manufacturing talent and their needs within companies, today we are focusing on managerial talent: in Italia, only 30% of graduates remain in the country, many of whom go abroad due to a lack of confidence and in search of better opportunities and higher salaries.
Is this a similar approach to what was done for the manufacturing trades?
For more than 10 years, Altagamma has been helping to promote ‘Talenti del Fare’ (talents of craftsmanship), because at the heart of the excellence of our creations lies a manual skill that must be preserved, protected and passed on to future generations. We began with a study carried out with Unioncamere, which identified a need for 276,000 technical and craft profiles in the high-end sectors between 2025 and 2028. Around half of this demand is at risk of not being adequately met.
