one out of four is in the South – Corriere.it

One hundred thousand businesses supported with incentives, one in four (23%) in Southern Italy. 38% more than in 2021. And 34,000 jobs created or safeguarded, says a note, of which two thirds (65%) in the South: an increase from the 27,000 of the previous year. These are the 2022 results of Invitalia, the company of the Ministry of Economy led for a year by the managing director Bernardo Mattarella, contained in the latest Sustainability report. Of the 100,000 businesses, 4,800 are newly established, 76% in the South. Last year, the subsidies allowed to support businesses amounted to 4.6 billion, with a declared driving force of activated investments amounting to 18 billion .

Shares in the capital

Invitalia, the national agency for attracting investments and business development, has among its subsidiaries Mediocredito Centrale-Banca del Mezzogiorno and Invitalia Global Investments. It has eight equity investments in companies through the Cresci al Sud and Salvaguardia Imprese funds with 40.7 million disbursed. His, for example, is the 38% stake in the former Ilva, now Acciaierie d’Italia, company that risks losing a billion earmarked for decarbonisation if the government review of the Pnrr passes, expected by 31 August, with cuts to new hydrogen or methane plants for the production of clean steel in Taranto. The Agency declares that it has so far, it has injected a total of around 70 billion into the business world. This figure includes loans (2.4 billion at market rate), incentives (2 billion), loans (42 billion of guaranteed credit for liquidity) and guaranteed investments (22 billion).

Innovation and tourism

For innovation last year the government agency dedicated, says the statement, 1.5 billion in subsidies for research and high-tech startups, almost half (48%) in support of the electric battery and hydrogen sector. On tourism and the protection of artistic heritage, he also declares that he has activated investments for 2 billion on over 5,000 projects.

Public administration and consultancy on the Pnrr

In the public administration, Invitalia launched 39 programs in 2022 for a value of 54 billion, up from 31.8 billion in 2021, with a technical consultancy contribution on 45 programs for the digitization of services to citizens and for territorial cohesion. Last year he launched 160 tenders for 15.6 billion in public investment and involved for 40 billion in the six missions of the Pnrr in support of 24 administrations (ministries included), from production chains to digital infrastructures, from logistics to culture, from renewable energies to public construction.