ENTERPRISE NETWORKS: +7.4% IN 2023, 9 THOUSAND NETWORK CONTRACTS FOR OVER 47 THOUSAND ENTERPRISES

With networks, SMEs are more resilient and benefit from the advantages of large companies without losing identity, autonomy and flexibility

Padua, 20 March 2024 - Growing business networks in Italy in 2023: over 47 thousand enterprises distributed nationwide (+4.8% compared to to the previous year) for almost 9 thousand network contracts (+7.4% compared to 2022) in numerous sectors and supply chains, with agribusiness, construction and trade dominating. This is what emerges from the Fifth Report of the National Observatory on Enterprise Networks, edited by InfoCamere, RetImpresa and the Department of Management of Ca' Foscari University Venice, presented today at the historic headquarters of the University of Padua in Palazzo del Bo.

From the survey, the network contract is confirmed particularly useful tool for small companies (75% of the networked companies have fewer than 10 employees) to increase bargaining power (35%), share purchasing/supply/technology expenses (24%) and participate in calls for tenders and contracts (24%). One of the main competitive advantages of the network contract is the possibility for member companies to benefit from the advantages of big business while not losing the identity, autonomy and flexibility typical of SMEs. The 2023 Report, analyses the universe of network contracts in Italy through data from the Chambers of Commerce Business Register, and data from the survey conducted by the Observatory on a representative sample of active networks.

Compared to 2022, micro-networks are strengthened, composed of 2-3 companies (more than 52% of the total) and, in general, networks in which less than 10 companies participate (almost the 87%). Over time, network contracts - as well as involving more companies, including those from emerging fields such as companies benefits - have become more cohesive and territorially rooted, contributing to the sustainability of strategic supply chains. Observatory 2023 also analyses the resiliencemeasuring the ability to anticipate, manage and react to crises. The mixed nature of the network and the number of companies involved favour faster recovery after a corporate crisis: in the 66.1% of cases occur within one year.

Finally, the Observatory highlights the state of the art and perspectives on the use of tools for work organisation, including codetermination, and of fiscal and financial leverage in business networks to support the joint project.

"The rapid breakdown and recomposition of local and global economic scenarios requires increasingly precise and reliable knowledge tools to grasp the dynamics of the business fabric and interpret its needs in time," said the Director General of InfoCamere, Paolo Ghezzi. "The Register of Companies of the Chambers of Commerce, managed by InfoCamere, confirms itself as a fundamental tool from which to outline the trajectories of phenomena such as that of business networks, closely studied through the characteristics of the companies that are part of them. An approach that makes the work of the National Observatory increasingly useful for the benefit of policy actions tailored to enterprises and territories'.

"In these five years, the Observatory's role has been consolidated in the elaboration of analysis and policy on the business network phenomenon, knowing how to combine scientific method and experiential knowledge, as demonstrated by the testimonies of today's conference," said Fabrizio Landi, President RetImpresa. The 2023 Report highlights the interest in experimenting with innovative networked tools, such as codatoriality and basket bonds, which can give impetus to the organisation of work and financial evolution in small businesses. In this direction, RetImpresa is focusing on open innovation and digital technologies and in recent months we have launched ROCK - Registry Open contest for knotworking, the competition for theopen collaboration which brings together 20 networks and lead companies looking for SMEs and start-ups to collaborate with on Registry, our platform in blockchain."

"The 2023 edition of the Observatory offers an up-to-date snapshot of the evolution of network contracts, network companies and their characteristics, in particular thanks to the new survey conducted between September and November 2023," says Anna Cabigiosu, Professor of Business Management and Scientific Director of the Observatory at the Department of Management, Ca' Foscari University of Venice. "The new report confirms the growth of networks and an increasing spread of aggregations between companies in the same sector, particularly in the agri-food industry, and presents the emerging phenomenon of networked benefit companies. The main objectives pursued by networks are to increase bargaining power, share purchases and participate in tenders and contracts, and their performance is improving and positively correlated with the complementarity of network resources. Furthermore, Observatory 2023 analysed the resilience of networks that have suffered a shock in recent years, e.g. caused by the general external environment. These networks declare in more than 65% of the cases that they have recovered their normal operations within the year and that they have suffered a limited reduction in turnover within 10%. The National Observatory on Enterprise Networks, free download from the Edizioni Ca' Foscari and RetImpresa websitesIt thus confirms itself as a point of reference for the study and promotion of this model of collaboration, which represents an important lever for the growth and competitiveness of the Italian economic system."