The South: untapped export potential. Those who sell abroad see an immediate 6 per cent increase in productivity
According to a survey by Unioncamere and the Tagliacarne Research Centre, around 20,000 Italian companies are already well-placed to sell abroad, but have not yet ventured beyond national borders. In the South, 21 out of every 100 companies that already export fall into this category, compared with 13 in the Centre-North
Key points
Whilst the government’s target is to reach 700 billion in exports by 2027, according to Foreign Secretary Antonio Tajani, some regions are lagging behind. Or, at the very least, they have greater untapped potential than others. We are talking about Southern Italy.
Those who have what it takes to sell abroad but don’t
According to a survey by Unioncamere and the Tagliacarne Research Centre, around 20,000 Italian companies are already well-placed to sell abroad, but have not yet ventured beyond national borders. In the South, there are 21 such companies for every 100 that already export, compared with 13 in the Centre-North. And it is in the South that support plays the greatest role: between 2020 and 2024, southern businesses that used the Chambers of Commerce’s internationalisation services recorded export values 65.3 per cent higher than those that did not use the services – approximately three times the national average of 21.8 per cent. Nationwide, businesses that received support were 41.4 per cent more likely to start exporting, with an estimated impact of between 600 and 800 million euros in additional exports.
The agreements
This is the target market for the framework agreement signed at the Farnesina on 27 July between the Ministry and Unioncamere, in the presence of ICE, SIMEST, SACE and Cassa Depositi e Prestiti, which, according to Tajani, has now been transformed into ‘an operational agreement’. The Chambers, the minister explained, will be able, ‘through their local presence, to increase the number of businesses wishing to export’, by engaging those that ‘are hesitant or lack sufficient information’.
The new Directorate-General for Growth – established as part of the reform of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs which came into effect on 1 January – is now in place, whilst the Chambers of Commerce will also take part in the economic forums organised by the Ministry. For the president of Unioncamere, Andrea Prete, the aim is to ‘expand the pool of Italian companies that export’, starting with the 20,000 that have been identified.
The benefits for exporters
The stakes become clear when comparing exporting firms with non-exporting ones. All other things being equal – in terms of size, sector and geographical area – exporting firms have labour productivity that is approximately 20 per cent higher, and productivity rises by around 6 per cent as soon as they enter foreign markets. Over the three-year period 2026–2028, 43 per cent plan to invest in research and development, compared with 16 per cent of non-exporting firms; for Industry 4.0 technologies, the ratio is 51 to 28, and for the green transition, 47 to 28.
