Confindustria presents "11.2 goals for a future yet to be written"a strategic document that focuses on the issue of human capital in Italy. The aim is to tackle three decisive challenges with concrete proposals: demography, inward migration and outward migration.

The number 11,2 is not accidental: it recalls the percentage of children expected in Italy in 2050, just 11.2% of the population. A figure that becomes a symbol of the need to regenerate birth rates, attract talent from abroad and retain the young people leaving the country today.

The document proposes an integrated approach that combines school, university, business, innovation and social policies. The challenge is to transform a demographic risk into a development opportunity, making Italy a country capable of growing not only in numbers but above all in value.

The document, presented at theEducation & Open Innovation Forum by Ortigia and of which you can download the full version here, identify three strategic directions summarising the proposals gathered:

1. Regenerating those born and studying in Italy (Demography).
2. Attracting those who want to train and work here (Migration IN).
3. Retain and bring back those who can innovate the country (Migration NO-OUT).

These guidelines constitute a single human capital policy, capable of integrating school, enterprise, training, welfare and migration policies.

Demography: regenerating human and social capital

Italy risks losing more than five million students by 2050. To reverse this trend, Confindustria proposes a strategy of demographic and social regeneration:

• Housing and community policies: housing plans for young people, housing and co-housing, incentives for areas at risk of depopulation.
• Universal educational services: nurseries and kindergartens compatible with work schedules.
• Female empowerment: generativity desks to reconcile career, education and family.
• Open school and early guidance: STEM courses as early as primary school and edutainment initiatives.
• Technical training and early employment: integration of VET, ITS and apprenticeship 4.0 to foster market entry by the age of 20.

Objective: to transform demography into an integrated human capital policyin which living, education and work become dimensions of a sustainable future.

Migration IN: attracting skills and talent

According to Unioncamere-Excelsior, by 2028 Italy will need 640,000 skilled migrant workers. The challenge is not to 'import labour', but to train and integrate human capital.

Key actions:

• Training-work corridors particularly in the Mediterranean: technical and language courses on site, linked with Italian companies and ITS.
• ITS and Universities ambassadors of Made and Educated in Italy.
• Open Innovation and Industrial Cooperation: strengthen Open Innovation Lab, joint projects on AI, green tech, biotech and advanced manufacturing.
• Digital and green skillsUsing the Digital Republic Fund and interprofessional funds for advanced skills, upskilling of workers and migrants, creating a homogeneous skills base between Italy and partner countries
• Affordable housing solutions for foreign students and workers.

The aim is to turn migration into a lever of cooperation and developmentmaking Italy a hub of education and innovation.

NO-OUT migration: retaining and returning talent

In the last ten years over 337,000 young Italiansof which 120,000 graduates, have left the country. 18% of PhDs work abroad within five years of their degree. Confindustria aims to reverse this trend with policies of return and internal enhancement:

• Ecosystems of innovation: networks between universities, companies and research centres.
• Return programmes and smart taxation: incentives for researchers, startuppers and professionals.
• Youth and female entrepreneurship: incubators, financial routes and venture capital.
• Venture capital and savingsStrengthen venture capital and continuing education, with more investment for start-ups and greater involvement of pension funds and public workers in digital upgrading.
• STE(A)M and digital competences: SME vouchers, mentorship and scholarships for female students.

Mobility must become circularturning the brain drain into a return of knowledge, research and enterprise.

What is the Genesis Project?

The heart of the document is the Genesis Project (Generations, Education, New Energies, Sustainability, Innovation):

• a national digital platform to monitor birth rates, school drop-outs, NEETs and digital skills;
• a GENESI stamp to certify projects consistent with the 11.2 objectives;
• a integrated digital dashboard with the main statistical and educational institutions;
• a annual public restitution forum on education, work and innovation.

Genesis wants to turn proposals into concrete and measurable actionspreventing them from remaining only on paper and generating a real impact on society.

Beyond the three guidelines: the 11.2 points for human capital

In addition to the three main guidelines and the Genesis Project platform, the Confindustria document articulates the 11.2 objectives in a series of proposals touching on all pillars of human capital.

The school as an open and civic space, capable of reducing dispersion and strengthening ties with local communities. The university are called upon to become more global and industrial, strengthening ties with the production system and attracting international students. Central is also theearly and continuous guidanceto reduce the mismatch between skills demand and training supply (48% of companies struggle to find the profiles they need), bringing young people closer to STEM disciplines and the business world.

The document devotes attention to the workwith the proposal to anticipate entry and extend working life through the '4+2' technical-professional chain and new apprenticeship models. There is also talk of continuous and bilateral trainingto make both the private sector and the public administration more competitive. A decisive role is attributed to the SMEto be made more innovative through networks of Open Innovation Lab and collaborations with schools and universities. Finally, an entire chapter is reserved for youth and female entrepreneurship and the development of digital competences and STE(A)Messential levers to close gender gaps and build a more inclusive and competitive Italy.

For the programme visit the official event page Education & Open Innovation Forum of Confindustria

FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Education & Open Innovation Forum of Confindustria?
It is an annual event dedicated to the future of human capital and innovation. In 2025 it takes place in Ortigia on 23 and 24 October.

What does '11.2 goals for a future yet to be written' mean?
The number 11.2 recalls the expected percentage of children in Italy in 2050. It is a symbolic threshold that urges concrete action on birth rate, education and employment.

What are the three main thrusts of the document?

1. Demography (regenerating those born and studying in Italy).
2. Migration IN (attracting talent).
3. NO-OUT migration (retaining and returning young people).

What is the Genesis Project?
It is a monitoring and innovation platform that integrates data on birth, school, work and digital skills, awarding a sticker to projects consistent with Confindustria's objectives.

Why is the document relevant for Italian companies?
Because it focuses on human capital as an engine of competitiveness, proposing concrete tools for training, innovation and talent attraction.