An executive approach is needed to build infrastructure quickly to make Italy more competitive

GENOA, May 20, 2022 – “After decades of underinvestment in the sector the Italian government has launched a vast public works programme in consideration of the fact that infrastructure plays a role in improving a country’s competitiveness The resources under the PNRR (National Plan for Recovery and Resilience) and the state budget are instruments that are being combined to produce a plan that stears the country in the right direction for the coming decades. Infrastructure is essential. Once completed and put into operation we cannot do without it. But of course, the period of construction does create some inconvenience. This is the price to pay to have a more competitive country. We went through it with the Autostrada del Sole and High-Speed Rail. Both were seen as potential cathedrals in the desert during their construction. But then they became necessary for the social and economic development of the country. Subsequently they came to support the competitiveness of companies, big and small.” stated Pietro Salini, Webuild Chief Executive to those attending the conference on Ligurian Infrastructure: Mobility, Environment and Safety organised by the Liguria Region in Genoa.

“The government is paying close attention to one of the sector’s main issues: the rise in prices - a critical matter not only for Italy but for the whole world. What we need are long-term structural measures that can help avoid public works coming to a halt. The instruments exist, and they can be taken from international experience. On these issues we have opened a dialogue with the government. We have found it very productive because we have been able to share the best experiences that we have had abroad. So we are ready and willing to contribute to finding together stable and long-lasting solutions.”

“We have before us a turnaround that we can’t afford to lose, with a multi-year plan for Italy. The financial resources are available, as well as the best expertise in business and execution. Real sustainable development comes from innovation and safety. They must be the basis for construction sites of the future. What we need is constant investment in safety and training in order to create a positive culture all along the supply chain, a chain that, for Webuild, is made up of 8,000 small- and medium-sized businesses in Italy alone.”

“The Terzo Valico dei Giovi and Genoa Juncture project currently under construction by Webuild is one of the most ambitious infrastructure projects in Italy today. But what we are building is not only for Italy, but for a more integrated Europe. Only the completion of the Terzo Valico and the doubling of the Genova-Ventimiglia will ensure by 2023 an increase in regional GDP of an estimated €2.4 billion. It is a number that gives an idea of the effect that these public works can have on infrastructure and the regions.“

“The construction of new infrastructure is a unique opportunity because it creates employment at a time in which there is the risk of stagnation. Estimates reveal a need for about 100,000 people in the sector of large infrastructure under the PNRR. We need qualified people, also those with new professional skills. It is crucial that we invest in up-skilling and re-skilling so that growth is stable and long-lasting. We need a massive training programme that involves both public and private sectors. At Webuild, we have gone ahead with our Scuola di Mestieri (Trades School), and we are working with many universities in the world. But we need a national project and we are ready to take part in a long-term strategy that involves companies and a training system.”