Manufacturing, innovating, developing

Despite many socio-economic problems, during the 1980-1996 period Basilicata showed a growth in GDP above the other regions of the Mezzogiorno. The manufacturing sector accounted for much of this growth and the Province of Potenza, site of the Fiat factory, saw sustained industrialisation between 1990 and 1996. Although the slowdown of the Italian economy in the late 1990s had a negative impact on domestic demand, especially in the south, the global downturn in investments in Basilicata was less significant than in the rest of the Mezzogiorno(20%). It is against this background that one can better understand the reasons for the launch of the SINTER & NET project, in 1999. This resulted in the creation of a research and training centre aimed at maximising the information and commercial and technical know-how that is essential to manufacturing companies at the start-up, development and growth stages. The research centre concentrates on matters relating to the financing, automation and control of production processes. In addition to companies based in Basilicata itself, it is also at the service of the other Objective 1 Italian regions. The results achieved in terms of the advice and training provided are testimony to the centre’s strategic importance. Its problem-solving approach enables it to propose innovative and highly practical solutions, as a result of which companies can acquire a significant competitive potential on an increasingly demanding and sensitive market that sees innovation as an added value. The use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) and close relations with the university and specialised research centres are the principal factors in the project’s success. Basilicata is developing a new industrial and manufacturing structure. The analysis of the region’s strengths and weaknesses and the identification of company research and innovation needs have oriented the regional economy towards innovative technologies. Access to financing from various national and European support programmes has stimulated the spirit of initiative of many business managers, while at the same time placing the Basilicata research centre at the heart of an increasingly solid cooperative network. While companies in Basilicata are the first to benefit from this initiative, the whole of southern Italy also benefits from the research results and technological breakthroughs achieved.