9. • Collective approaches to export
• Anchoring SMEs in new sectors
• Ensuring SMEs are internationally
competitive
• Creating new internationalised clusters
• Exploiting the opportunities of digitalisation
• Creation an internationalised environment
• Integrating regional strategies
Generic approaches
Notes de l'éditeur
This is a presentation of work OECD has been doing with the Chamber of Commerce of Udine.
The Chamber is already one of the more active ones in Italy and gives a lot of support to its members, particularly through training and support for trade missions.
We have been looking at a specific aspect of this, examining the structural effects of globalisation on six sectors to try to develop new approaches which would help SMEs to internationalise.
First of all wine – and something the Chamber already does.
Wine has been traded for a very very long time, but has become more internationalised in this century, opening up new markets. Generally wine consortia have managed marketing themselves, but recently the highest rates of growth are in more distant markets, particularly Asia. The Chamber ahs organised a temporary association to promote export for this reason.
This could apply to other agrifood sectors
Wine can also be linked to other forms of internationalisation. Wine tourism is one of them.
On the map, the pink areas are wine growing areas and the yellow ones are ones with concentrations of employment in hotel/restaurant/catering. There are some obvious overlaps, e.g. Prosecco. But there are also real opportunities to match the two together in other parts of Triveneto
Furniture is important in the region and generally already an export success story.
However there is some degree of consolidation going on in the industry with medium sized firms growing at the expense of the smallest ones. Comparing with the furniture cluster in Brianza, which benefits from proximity with Milan, small firms appear to be doing worse. A key reason is the need for input into design from international sources and a key policy to be extended is to create a more internationalised environment. SMEs are often opportunistic about internationalisation and international contacts so the degree to which other institutions have international connections is important.
Map shows the concentration of mechatronics exporting companies.
It shows concentration around bigger cities, and a key reason for this relates to bigger companies which are supplied. A possible exception is Vicenza, where many components are produced e.g. for the automotive component industry in Germany, but nonetheless it shows the importance of attracting FDI – large companies can have a real effect on the local supply chain.
Map shows concentration of ICT exporting companies – which are a minority. They tend to be in the bigger cities because that is where the market is.
A particular case is Trentino which has put considerable amount of funds into R&D in ICT. EU research ranking areas as potential poles of excellence in IT puts it quite high up – in Italy (7th province), although some distance away from real concentrations like Munich. The key part missing is the degree of business connections and a local market. This shows the need for interregional collaboration as better connections with HEI.
Green technology is a new sector, naturally internationalised which everyone wants. The question is why should companies be based in a particular location?
The map shows areas with the right skills (blue) and the right market (green). Rovereto comes out on top but it is relatively isolated.
A key point here is going to be developing a new market and local procurement and regulations will have a real impact here.
Logistics are important, particularly in an area like this.
The important question for Udine is optimising logistics services both to improve the degree to which trade passes through the territory (and not via Koper and Slovenia) and to try to make sure that investment and processing happens there.
The Chamber ash a real role in getting industry together so that industrial zones are organised on an efficient and effective basis.
Collective approaches to export – particularly to more distant locations
Anchoring SMEs in new sectors – ensuring there is a local market, FDI, connections with HEIs
Ensuring SMEs are internationally competitive – technology transfer, infrastructure
Creating new internationalised clusters – power of public procurement
Exploiting the opportunities of digitalisation – creates opportunities, but also threats to leave
Creation an internationalised environment – which has a knock on effect on business
Integrating regional strategies – tourism, infrastructure, education are all important.