"There is one key, unavoidable element: the sustainability must be combined with a increased competitiveness of industrywith a push for technological innovation and research. If it is to be limited to a bureaucratic, ideological and regulatory approach, to certifications for their own sake, then it is a road not to be pursued, which condemns Europe to lose ground to the other continents, USA and China in the lead", says the President of Small Industry Giovanni Baroni at an interview in Sole 24 Ore.

Looking at the European vote on 8 and 9 Junebefore the polls open, Baroni wanted to get companies, institutions and politicians around a table to reflect on the EU to come. 'The European way to sustainability: SMEs between opportunities and unknowns'is the title of the Forum of Small Industry to be held in Naples Friday 10 and Saturday 11 May. An event that will end with a dialogue between Baroni and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Antonio Tajani.

For the president of the Small Industry 'it has been a long time now that in election campaigns we go on about slogans and do not talk about content. There are however two important documentsthe one on the single market developed by Enrico Letta and the one on competitiveness prepared by Mario Draghiwhich will be officially presented after the vote. If it is not found a common road to growththe risk is the emergence of nationalist drives. We have seen this in this last period: it was a wrong choice by the EU the State aid exemption launched to deal with the emergency of energy and raw material costs, has benefited countries with more fiscal space, creating further divisions and putting the single market at risk'.

'On stage,' emphasised Baroni, 'we will also have our French and German colleagues from Medef and Bdi. A competitive approach to sustainability is not only a requirement of Italy, it is also shared by the other industrialised countries of the EU. From industrywith technological innovation and research, can come solutions to the green and digital transition, growth, social development e civil progress. And so it must be placed at the centre in the construction of Europe's future,' explained the president of Piccola. However, "in this last period, Europe has reasoned as if it were not included in a general context. We have witnessed inter-state rivalry within the EU and we did not engage in competition with the rest of the world, it was not realised that the competition is global and not local. We even have antitrust rules that limit the growth of European champions when there are much bigger ones abroad'.

According to Baroni 'oe need for an industrial policy that makes green and digital transitions a factor in competitiveness. And to do so requires a lot of resources: I once again reiterate the need for a common European fund also financed by Member States in debt to support these crucial steps and to accompany companies in this transition'. The alternative otherwise it is 'a deindustrialisation of Europeless industry, starting with SMEs, less welfare, and the price will be paid by European citizens. If we fail to be protagonists of transitions, with our capacity for innovation, we will be reduced to being mere buyers: of Artificial Intelligence from the US, of photovoltaic panels, batteries and electric cars from China, and so on. We will buy technologies developed by others, destroying our industry and, consequently, Europe itself'.

In the conference the sustainability will be explored with three different approaches: environmental, social, of corporate governancewill be analysed the importance of supply chains and the relationship with finance. "We need a full cooperation between institutions, companies, banks. The supply chain relationship is important for SMEs to grow: we have not done enough, the small ones must work even harderincrease their capacity for innovation. And finance plays a decisive role to go in this direction, as well as a change in governance is a cultural leap neededeven if at first it may appear to be a bureaucratic burden. We will do our best, but we would like to the voice of business is heard more to make our contribution'.