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

Italy's South shapes up for business

For decades foreign companies viewed southern Italy as a haven for the manufacture of labor-intensive products. That perception is changing. In today's globalized economic landscape, Italy is honing its competitive advantage by promoting the development in the information and communication technologies (ICT) sector - and the less developed Mezzogiorno is showing up on more than one company's plans as a particularly advantageous area for setting up a European business location.

Sviluppo Italia Chairman Umberto di Capus is extending his agency's promotional efforts in Asia with a new office in Tokyo.

Although a late starter in Europe, Italy's ICT sector has been catching up with the latest developments in telecommunications. The vibrancy of the Italian sector can be credited to relatively low labor costs and the availability of a young, well-trained and highly skilled workforce, especially in less developed southern Italy. "This is great news because Italy has shown that it has the ingredients to compete in a leading position with the rest of Europe," says Umberto di Capua, chairman of Sviluppo Italia, a government agency that promotes investment in Italy and provides logistical support to local and foreign entrepreneurs. Di Capua believes that southern Italy holds the key to further success: "We are at a crossroads now. Italy has one of the highest percentages of students in the 24-30 age group, with nearly 20 percent holding degrees in technological or scientific fields. Multinationals are increasingly interested in Southern Italy, first and foremost, thanks to the ready availability of human resources."

To help foreign investors establish themselves in Italy, Sviluppo Italia offers free, tailor-made services - ranging from conducting feasibility studies to drawing up plans for the setting up of new business initiatives, as well as the expansion, modernization, and relocation of existing investments.

The agency is not biased towards any sector, but ICT sector companies are particularly encouraged. It also provides monetary assistance, with the co-operation of local development agencies.

Its flagship investments include the main European plant of Honda Motorcycles in Rome, the operating centers of the systems integration company Sema Group in Milan and Rome, and a major telecommunications training center in Naples.

"Looking back one year after our arrival in Agnano, we would certainly choose Agnano again," remarks Francesco Emiliani, the managing director of Sema Group in Italy, in reference to his company's choice of southern Italy as a European base. "Today, more than 200 young people are working to create solutions that can be exploited at an international level. There is nothing on the horizon that can hinder future programs, and the availability of qualified personnel is good, particularly in the South. Italy is an attractive place to do business."

As a supporting member of the "Italy in Japan Project 2001" currently being held here, and considering the high priority given to Japan as an economic partner for Italy, Sviluppo Italia recently established a one-stop-shop in Tokyo to promote foreign direct investments in Italy.

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