Youth self-entrepreneurship to keep competing

(Il Sole 24 Ore Radiocor) - Aiming at young people and encouraging self-entrepreneurial paths. For the Lombardy Region, this is one of the keys to maintaining its primacy in the economic and productive field, and from this stems the conviction that a new generation of entrepreneurs must be cultivated, capable of facing the future with creativity, innovation and a sense of responsibility. "We want young people in Lombardy to see enterprise as a concrete opportunity. We already offer many tools, but the real challenge is cultural: creating an ecosystem in which setting up one's own business is not the exception, but a natural path,' said Lombardy Region Economic Development Councillor Guido Guidesi. In this context, a survey was promoted with the Piepoli Institute, conducted last July on a sample of 1,000 young people aged between 16 and 30 years resident in Lombardy.

According to the survey, young people in Lombardy describe themselves as satisfied, autonomous, open to new ideas and optimistic, but do not hide fragility and fears. As many as 63% say they are worried about not being able to find a job, although more than half say they have clear ideas about their future. Those who have already entered the world of work say they are mostly satisfied (79%), although they point out critical issues related to inadequate salaries and low personal fulfilment.

Among aspirations, the desire for independence stands out: one young person in five in Lombardy dreams of setting up their own business and 30% of those interviewed believe that there are better opportunities in Lombardy than elsewhere. Self-entrepreneurship is seen as a source of personal, professional and economic wellbeing, but also as a path fraught with obstacles, especially of a fiscal and bureaucratic nature.

With the aim of smoothing this path, the Lombardy Region has built up an articulated system of support over the years: the 'Nuova Impresa' (New Enterprise) call, set up by Guidesi to date has helped to set up almost 4,000 new enterprises; total regional funding of almost 27 million euro has generated private investment of almost 65 million euro. "24 million 'Microcredit'; venture capital funds 'Lombardia Venture' (40 million) and 'Lombardia Venture STEP' (70 million). These are flanked by competitions such as 'StartCup Lombardia', which has spawned 44 new companies since 2016, and international acceleration programmes such as 'SkyDeck Europe Milano' (EUR 1.5 million that have helped support 45 startups) and 'ESA BIC Milano', also able to support innovative and space economy startups. Alongside these consolidated measures, two important innovations are being presented today: an accompaniment tool, designed to guide and support those who want to embark on an entrepreneurial path, reducing information barriers and facilitating access to opportunities, and a communication campaign dedicated to spreading business culture and stimulating interest in self-entrepreneurship.

"The Lombardy system puts itself at the disposal of young people and of Lombardy itself to ensure that our region continues to remain competitive and remains the 'Home of Ideas,'" emphasised Councillor Guidesi further. "It is also crucial that successful entrepreneurs make their great experience and history available, so that they can become concrete examples for the new generations," he added, concluding that "Regione Lombardia is and will be at the side of young people who want to get involved. Creating enterprise means creating a future: for oneself, for the community'.