Le foreign-controlled companies They account for just 0.4% of active businesses in Italy, but generate 21% of national turnover – amounting to 887 billion euros – 35.8% of exports and direct added value of 188 billion euros. They also employ over 1.8 million people, confirming their status as an increasingly significant component of the Italian production system.

These are some of the key figures contained in the 2026 Annual Report of the Foreign Enterprises Observatory, entitled “From investment flows to industrial establishment. The contribution of foreign companies to Italy’s competitiveness”, produced in scientific collaboration with Istat, ICE Agenzia, LIUC, Luiss Guido Carli, the IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca, the Assolombarda Research Centre and, as of this year, with the support of Cassa Depositi e Prestiti.

The report was presented in Rome, at Luiss University, on the occasion of of the 2026 Annual Meeting of the Confindustria Overseas Enterprises Technical Group, organised in collaboration with the Conference of Regions and Autonomous Provinces.

“The report’s message is clear: growth also depends on supporting those who have already chosen Italy. Around three-quarters of the recent rise in employment comes from foreign companies already operating in the country: supporting their consolidation and reinvestment means generating new value, new jobs and related economic activity across Italian supply chains. This is why attracting new businesses and helping established ones to put down roots must be two pillars of the same strategy,” he said Barbara Cimmino, Vice-President of Confindustria for Exports and Investment Attraction.

Vice-President Barbara Cimmino during the presentation of the OIE 2026 Report at the Annual Meeting of the Confindustria Overseas Enterprises Technical Group

Foreign investment: a driver of growth, supply chains and competitiveness

The analysis confirms that the contribution made by foreign companies goes well beyond direct investment. Through production chains, supply networks and links with the SME sector, these companies generate a multiplier effect that strengthens the competitiveness of the entire industrial system.

With direct added value amounting to 188 billion euros, the total value generated across the supply chains in fact reaches 398 billion euros, whilst the 1.8 million people directly employed correspond to over 6.2 million jobs supported in total. This impact confirms that attracting foreign investment also means strengthening industrial clusters, regions and small and medium-sized enterprises.

Foreign-controlled companies also make a significant contribution to the country’s internationalisation, generating exports worth 203 billion euros, equivalent to 35.8% of domestic exports.

Innovation, research and skilled labour

One of the key points that emerges most clearly from the Report concerns the contribution of foreign companies to innovation.

Foreign-controlled companies generate 38.3% of private research and development in Italy, investing 6.5 billion euros in R&D. They also boast productivity levels 10% higher than the European average and offer higher average wages, helping to attract and retain highly specialised skills and young talent in the country.

Greater appeal to unlock the potential of local areas

The report also highlights a high degree of geographical concentration of foreign investment. The top five regions account for 76% of the value added generated by foreign-controlled companies and Lombardy alone accounts for almost 38% of the national total.

Alongside regions that are already highly attractive, however, there is significant untapped potential. Strengthening Italy’s ability to attract new investment therefore means making the most of the opportunities offered by these regions, by forging closer collaboration between the Government, the Regions and the business sector to support new industrial developments and consolidate existing ones.

Confindustria is strengthening its role as a liaison with international investors

Against this backdrop, Confindustria reaffirms its commitment to enhancing the country’s appeal through an increasingly structured dialogue between businesses, institutions and international investors.

The objective is to help make the process simpler and more coordinated for those who choose to invest in Italy, by strengthening coordination between MIMIT, MAECI, the regions and the diplomatic service, and by consolidating the role of Confindustria Imprese Estere as the key network for foreign companies operating in, or interested in operating in, our country.

The strategic importance of international investment for the Italian manufacturing sector was also confirmed by Giorgio Fossa, President of Luiss, who emphasised that “a strong focus on exports and international openness are the true hallmarks of our industry; this global outlook is confirmed by the Report presented today, which highlights how foreign companies are strategic partners for the country’s economic development and competitiveness. Their contribution goes beyond capital: they drive innovation, create value for national supply chains and unlock potential for local areas that remains partly untapped. This is a virtuous cycle, in a context where Europe and Italy must strengthen their industrial position in the face of pressure from major global markets, from Asia to the United States”.

Fossa also highlighted the role of the Luiss in training new leaders and entrepreneurs capable of driving the growth of Italian businesses in international markets.