#SoseXpress - Press Review 6th/13th November

We must go towards a green and knowledge-based economy. To do this, we need global cooperation.

Joseph Stiglitz, Nobel Prize in Economics

The Debate of Ideas

 

During the “Triennale Milano” two days dedicated to “L’Economia” of the Future.

Short supply chain foods, low environmental impact cities, and new work ideas are the themes addressed during the Milan marathon on sustainability on 11th and 12th November involving national and international speakers. Sustainability means to understand and to accept the future challenges of our times. It is no coincidence that many enterprises are translating this concept into concrete actions. Ecological and more responsible technological choices are becoming more and more attractive.

Studies, research and numbers

 

Agritourism farms are growing throughout the national territory.

In 2019 the licensed agritourism farms increased by 4,1% compared to 2018. According to ISTAT estimates, the Center of Italy registered the highest increase (8,7%). 62,6% of Italian municipalities host at least one agritourism. The share exceeds 97% in Tuscany. Agritourism farms of Italian nationality also increased (+ 9.6%), and foreign presence consolidated (8.2 million). Here the data provided by ISTAT.

 

OECD: the per capita income is decreasing throughout Europe. Italy registered the worst drop.

At the international level, the public support measures continue to protect household income from the COVID-19 economic impact in the second quarter of 2020. However, the per capita income continues to decrease. Germany registered a decrease of 1,2%, France of 2,3%, the United Kingdom of 3,4% and Italy of 7,2%, the worst performance of G7. The OECD reveals these data underscoring that decreases were more moderate in the previous quarter (of 1% or less). Here for further information.

 

The Italian economy in brief: the monthly update by the Bank of Italy.

The document supplies tables and information on real and credit indicators, statistics on relationships with foreign countries and public finance, forecasts on inflation and growth. 

 

The Bank of Italy published the Business Outlook survey of industrial and service firms.

According to firms in industry and services with 20 or more employees, sales were strongly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in the first nine months of 2020. The outlook for the next six months is slightly more positive in the industry but remain pessimistic in services due to the recent worsening of health emergency in Italy. 

 

International tourism in August 2020: the data by the Bank of Italy.

In August 2020, the recovery of international tourist flows strengthened. The decline has significantly weakened compared to the pandemic's most acute phase, mainly due to tourism revenue from foreign travelers in Italy.

 

Compared to August of last year, purchases by foreign travelers in Italy (4,248 million) decreased by 28,5%, by Italian travelers abroad (1,735 million) by 52,2%. Here for further information.

 

Confartigianato: GDP in the three critical areas.

The pandemic containment measures provided for by the last DPCM of November 3rd will have different effects in the three implementation areas: yellow, orange, and red. Confartigianato defined economic and health indicators to analyze the three different scenarios, from the most severe, to a severe one up to the last one, characterized by a less complicated situation.

The voice of stakeholders

 

Diversity management: Istat and Unar published the results of their research.

The diversity e/or inclusion management (DM) defines the measures and tools to manage and promote more inclusive working environments.

According to Istat and UNAR research, in 2019, over one-fifth of enterprises (20,7%, equal to 5,700 units) adopted at least a measure aimed to manage and enhance differences among employees in terms of gender, age, citizenship, nationality and/or ethnicity, religion or disabilities, not mandatory by law. 

 

The Italian Sustainable Investment Forum (ItaSIF) published the results of the study “SMEs and sustainability”.

The study was realized in the period June-August 2020. In 2020, The Italian Sustainable Investment Forum, in collaboration with DOXA, extended its target by analyzing Italian SMEs and focusing on environmentally friendly companies.

According to the survey COVID-19 has caused a partial loss of market share, amounting to 45% for SMEs, and a severe drop in turnover for 23% of the interviewed firms (31% for micro-enterprises). For one enterprise out of three, sustainability is an essential criterium for strategic choices and will support the recovery from the current crisis (the share is 39% for the firms with more than 50 employees compared to 29% of the total sample). 37% think that the new socio-economic context will shift the attention to environmental, social, and governance issues.

Innovation

 

Italy aims at robots: in ten years nearly 6,000 Italian patents registered in Europe.

Nearly 6,000 out of 40,000 Italian patents registered in Europe in ten years utilize robotics technology. This emerges from the analysis carried out by Unioncamere Dintec, based on the patents published by the European Patent Office (EPO) between 2010 and 2019. This highly innovative technology is progressively invading all the main sectors in which enterprises, entities, and individual inventors exercise their innovation capacity, including the medical technology industry. This sector represents the first area of Italian patenting in which the applications to the EPO grew by 30% compared to 10 years ago. The medical industry ranked first for protected inventions. Here for further information.

 

The 2020 CLUSIT Report on ICT security in Italy.

The Report analyzes the data collected by the FASTWEB Security Operations Center (SOC), the surveys and reports realized by the Postal and Communications Police and CERT PA.

The chapter dedicated to the FINANCE sector includes the study "Elements of Cyber-crime in the financial sector in Europe" by IBM and the contributions by CERTFin and the CERT of the Bank of Italy. Here to download the Report.

 

PA: the decree establishing the National Smart Working Observatory was signed.

Minister Fabiana Dadone signed the decree establishing the National Smart Working Observatory for public administrations (as provided for by Relaunch Decree). It will offer ideas and proposals of regulatory, organizational, and technological nature to improve smart working. The Observatory will be composed of 27 representatives of the Government, Regions, local authorities, Inps, Istat, Enea, and other institutions. Fourteen experts from the public and private sectors or universities will be part of a support technical Committee.

 

World of MEF

 

Self-employment Observatory. The update of the third quarter of 2020.

In the third quarter of 2020, 104.904 new VAT identification numbers were registered, with an increase of 3% compared to the same period of last year. Compared to the preceding quarter, the growth was even more outstanding (+10,2), highlighting a significant recovery after the lockdown. 71.1% of new VAT registrations were operated by individuals, 21.9% by companies, 3% by partnerships. 

 

Benvenuto In Agenzia delle Entrate: the new guide to orient taxpayers’ requests.

From November 12th, a new guide is available to explain how to require the Revenue Agency's services. Taxpayers can know how and what to do by a click from their PC or by booking an ad-hoc appointment. These guidelines provide a further detailed vademecum compared to the previous publication on the agency's online services.