The Japan Times WORLD EYE REPORTS ROME AND THE MEZZOGIORNO
©THE JAPAN TIMES	Tuesday, September 4, 2001

Common ground yields rich bounty for Europe

Investments in new technology start-ups barely existed only a few years ago in southern Italy. Just last year, however, Matsushita - one of Japan's largest companies - joined forces with MC Electronics to produce multi-layer PWB (printed wiring board) materials using the world's premier technology from a production base in the underdeveloped Mezzogiorno. The new company is in a strategic position to supply the key European electronic market.

For Matsushita EW Managing Director Pietro Pacetti, The basis for a successful joint venture was finding common ground in corporate culture.

Developing a close relationship with the Japanese has not always been very easy, admits Pietro Pacetti, managing director of the new venture - dubbed Matsushita Electric Works Electronic Materials (Matsushita EW). During regular visits to Japan as an executive of the Italian manufacturer Olivetti, Pacetti found that the cultural differences between Italians and Japanese created a working relationship that was a bit too formal. In his opinion, changes in corporate culture had to be adopted to make the relationship more effective.

Celebrating the new company's first anniversary in June, Pacetti can already claim to have lain the groundwork for a successful joint venture. Having surmounted differences in language, management style and business strategy, Matsushita EW now looks forward to a vibrant future.

"At Matsushita Electric Works, we have established production facilities for PWB materials in the world's key market locations and have promised to strengthen our production capacity to respond quickly to these growing needs," explains Pacetti.

"The joint venture is very much a product of the times," he adds. "For the 21st century, communication is the buzzword. Any company that assists in the advancement of solutions in this area is in a win-win situation."

Based on its motto "Customers First" the company has actively provided customers with solutions for their state-of-the-art technological needs, as well as assistance in the advancement of the European electronics sector.

"Many have asked us why we locate our new plants in the south," Pacetti comments, referring to a new plant in Pisticci. "The answer to this is simple. Firstly, the plant is an expansion of an existing factory in Pisticci. Secondly, there are government initiatives designed to build up businesses in the south and we are provided the financial support we need. Aside from this, the south is a region with many rich resources. Pisticci is aptly located near a port, so it is logistically convenient for transporting our products."

"We are also very near some of our most important Italian customers," Pacetti adds. "The job market is bullish; in fact, there is ready availability of human resources - from manual laborers to highly professional qualified workers. Finally, the weather conditions are superb. Multinational companies have shown interest in the Mezzogiorno for years now. We are no different."

"We know our market very well and we know we have to manage our customers very well," concludes Pacetti. "As a joint venture, we have knowledge of the local market whereas Japan has the superior technology. With the change in attitude of the Japanese people and their openness to learn from others, together we can penetrate the global market."

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