Transport, logistics and infrastructure must become an integral part of Italian and European industrial policy. This is the message put forward by Confindustria during the National Conference on Transport and Logistics, the first edition of the initiative organised at the Auditorium della Tecnica in Rome to bring together institutions, businesses and industry professionals around a shared strategy to strengthen the country’s competitiveness.

The proceedings were opened by the vice-president of Confindustria responsible for Transport, Logistics and the Tourism Industry, Leopoldo Destro, who emphasised the need for a new wave of investment and for a system of governance capable of placing infrastructure, transport and connectivity at the heart of the national agenda.

“We are not here to listen to reports. We are here to work together to build a new industrial policy for the country,” said Destro, pointing out that transport and logistics represent “the driving force behind the real economy”. According to the vice-president of Confindustria, “logistics is not a cost, it is growth”: in fact, every million euros invested in the sector generates over two million euros of additional output. “Investing 10 billion euros in logistics means generating up to 22 billion euros of additional GDP. For this reason, logistics must become a permanent fixture at the heart of national industrial policy”.

From TEN-T networks to skills: Confindustria’s five priorities

In his closing remarks, Destro outlined the key priorities on which to build a new industrial policy for logistics and transport. The first concerns bridging the infrastructure gap through stable planning and adequate investment, in light of an estimated requirement of 550 billion $ by 2040. The second is the development of intermodal transport, so that roads, railways, ports, airports and logistics hubs can operate as a truly integrated system.

In addition to these points, Confindustria is calling for to speed up the digitalisation of infrastructure and services, by promoting data interoperability and integrated procedures, pursuing sustainability based on the principle of technological neutrality, and investing decisively in skills, whilst strengthening collaboration between businesses, ITS, schools, universities and local communities.

For Confindustria, business competitiveness and household well-being are not mutually exclusive objectives, but part of the same strategy. Investing in infrastructure means improving not only business productivity but also people’s quality of life: reducing journey times, increasing access to services, strengthening local communities and creating new job opportunities. Industry and employment, businesses and households grow together. European surveys also confirm that citizens regard infrastructure investment as one of the most effective means of supporting regional development and improving quality of life.

Particular attention was also paid to the TEN-T networks and Alpine crossings. According to Destro, the completion of European infrastructure is an essential prerequisite for the competitiveness of the single market. Indeed, around 400 billion euros’ worth of trade passes through the Alpine border crossings, and infrastructure inefficiencies are already generating costs estimated at around 1.5 billion euros a year. For this reason, Confindustria proposes that these mountain passes be recognised as strategic European infrastructure, that they be given priority in the EU’s funding programmes, and that a coordinated maintenance plan be put in place.

Orsini: “Investment is needed to complete the European networks”

In his closing remarks, the president of Confindustria, Emanuele Orsini, touched on a number of key issues for the competitiveness of the Italian manufacturing sector: from supporting the growth of SMEs to the need to channel private savings into the real economy, and the impact of geopolitical tensions on businesses and supply chains.

On the issue of logistics and infrastructure, Orsini drew attention to the gap between infrastructure requirements and resources available at European level. “The European Commission estimates that €845 billion is needed to complete the TEN-T network by 2040, but only €81 has been put on the table. ”We cannot achieve this with these resources,” he said, emphasising that Europe’s competitiveness depends on its ability to make adequate investments.

The president of Confindustria also pointed out that recent geopolitical tensions – from the crisis in the Red Sea to that in the Strait of Hormuz – have highlighted the strategic role of logistics for European industry and for the resilience of value chains.

Exports, ports and artificial intelligence: the new challenges for competitiveness

Considerable attention was paid to this last aspect, which concerns the changes currently taking place on the international stage and their impact on supply chains.

“In an international landscape marked by geopolitical tensions, new trade barriers and value chains that are increasingly vulnerable to shocks, transport, infrastructure and logistics are not merely a sector-specific issue, but a prerequisite for competitiveness across the entire production system,” he pointed out Barbara Cimmino, Confindustria’s Vice-President for Exports and Investment Attraction, pointing out that modern infrastructure and efficient networks form the foundation on which to build exports, investment and growth.

Mario Zanetti, Confindustria’s special adviser on the maritime economy, focused instead on the strategic role of this sector, which “is worth over 200 billion euros, accounting for more than 11% of GDP, and directly employs over one million people’. ”Without an efficient port system, there can be no competitive national logistics network,“ emphasised Zanetti, citing as priorities the strengthening of ports, the completion of links with hinterland ports and TEN-T corridors, support for the energy transition, and investment in skills.

Among the topics discussed was the digital transition. For Alberto Tripi, Confindustria’s special adviser on Artificial Intelligence, said: “Mobility is already one of the main testing grounds for Italian artificial intelligence”. According to Tripi, the transport sector can become a powerful driver of demand for the entire national technology supply chain, provided that data sharing is encouraged, investment is supported and opportunities for real-world experimentation are created.

Institutions: logistics as a driver of competitiveness and development

Throughout the day, numerous representatives from national and European institutions also spoke.

In his video message, the Executive Vice-President of the European Commission Raffaele Fitto He described logistics as “a key driver of competitiveness, economic security and the cohesion of the single market”.

The Minister for Enterprise and ‘Made in Italy’ Adolfo Urso Instead, he drew attention to the need for a revision of the European ETS system, which is considered essential for supporting businesses’ competitiveness during the energy transition.

The Minister for Tourism Gianmarco Mazzi He emphasised the integration of transport and tourism, highlighting the role of digital technologies and artificial intelligence in managing tourist flows and promoting seasonality management.

To round off the speeches, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, Matteo Salvini, who highlighted the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport’s commitment to investment, emphasising that the ministry currently has 264 billion euros’ worth of infrastructure investment underway.