“Piacenza must not remain still, entrenched in inaction. It is important to create works that are useful, from roads to the strengthening of university centres: only in this way can we become an alternative to Milan, cultivating the talents to include in our businesses”. Everything is ready for the annual meeting Of Confapi Industry PiacenzaPresident Giacomo Ponginibbi anticipates that the balance of the last year is “very positive, despite the many difficulties that come above all from the complex geopolitical scenario”. The long-awaited appointment, which will be attended by representatives of Oltre four hundred small and medium-sized enterprises, is for Tuesday 11 June at 5.45pm at the Mazzocchi Auditorium of the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart of Piacenza. “The conflicts between Russia and Ukraine and that in the Middle East also have repercussions on the economic system of Piacenza – states Ponginibbi – nevertheless the entrepreneurs of Piacenza are reacting well. In our province there is significant resilience, and this is a source of pride for us, because every day we try to stand alongside our companies. And the demonstration of the good work done is given to us by the increase in associated companies: in the last year they have entered 59 companies in our circuit, there are currently almost five hundred small and medium-sized businesses registered, covering all sectors, from metalworking to technology, from services to consultancy”.
THERE IS A LACK OF WORKERS AND TECHNICIANS – Self turnover and production continue to grow, the other side of the coin is the difficulty in finding specialized figures to join the company. Last April Confapi declared that 58.44% of small and medium-sized industries had difficulty finding professional figures equal to 86.6% of their business needs. Among the most requested figures there are specialized workers (39.5%) e technicians (25.6%), but also general labor (19.8%): followed by computer scientists (9.3%), but also managers and executives (5.9%). 81.82% of the companies interviewed agree with Confapi’s proposal to establish a compulsory civil service for young people who do not study or work. “Finding staff – says Ponginibbi – is the biggest difficulty our companies encounter, together with the consequences of geopolitical tensions. Most companies complain of a shortage of technicians, the beating heart of manufacturing. Our association, thanks also to the collaboration with registered personnel search companies, has activated a profile reporting service for companies. Once a week, our companies are offered interesting profiles, this helps but the topic is broader: we need to start a new path, starting fromschool coaching and then get to the companies.” Dialogue with technical institutes and universities for the training of new working figures is one of the key points for the future of Piacenza companies. “There is a new ruling class which needs to be included”, says the president of Confapi Piacenza.
PIACENZA BETWEEN EMILIA AND LOMBARDY – “Piacenza must become attractive, above all due to its strategic position from a logistical point of view, given that we are the antechamber of Milan”. Ponginibbi had already supported the need to make the “big leap” when, interviewed by PiacenzaSera.it on the objectives to be pursued in the drafting of the general urban plan (Pug), had underlined the importance of strengthening university offerings. “The Pug is a very important tool – reiterates the president of Confapi – because it designs the city’s development strategy. It is important that it is drafted with pragmatism, without ideologies, because in order for a city to grow it needs to do works, and therefore we cannot afford to hide behind ideologies. Only in this way can Piacenza make the necessary leap forward to keep its young people within the city.” At the meeting on 11 June (here is the complete program) the second of the two round tables includes interventions by the councilors for economic development of the Emilia-Romagna Regions, Vincent Glueand Lombardy, Guido Guidesi, who, together with the vice president of Confapi Industria Piacenza Vincenzo Cerciello, will talk about “strategic interregional alliances in favor of the competitiveness of production chains”. A cross-section of two regions that are “two engines of the Italian economy” which in Piacenza, a border city, is a must. “Many people from Piacenza move to Lombardy every day for work reasons, a region from which only a bridge divides us – says Ponginibbi -. For us it is important to compare ourselves to give a vision of the economic development of two of the best performing regions in Italy. Each region has its own DNA, and therefore the processes and management are never identical. For this reason, it is likely that there are virtuous behaviors on both sides that can be shared and exchanged.”
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, AN OPPORTUNITY FOR SMEs – One of the issues of greatest interest nowadays is that which concerns theartificial intelligencean undoubtedly useful tool but to be used with a pinch of salt, or rather, as Ponginibbi says, “with healthy pragmatism“. Last March, the Unimatica category union of Confapi Industria Piacenza had organized a conference on this very topic, highlighting how “artificial intelligence is a resource for the business world”. But, as underlined on several occasions, it should be used with caution. “Artificial intelligence cannot be thought of as a substitute for human activity – warns Ponginibbi – but it can certainly improve the IT processes that regulate production within companies. There must be the right mix of support for companies and, at the same time, continuous training of people to improve knowledge of this tool”.
“NO TO A NEW MANDATE, THE OBJECTIVE IS TO CONTINUE GROWING” – Giacomo Ponginibbi, 45 years old, entrepreneur in the automotive sector, is in his second and final term as president of Confapi. Elected for the first time in 2020, just after the peak phase of the pandemic, he was reconfirmed at the helm of the association of small and medium-sized industrialists of Piacenza in 2023. The mandate will expire in June 2026, but Ponginibbi already has clear ideas about the future of he. “I will not run for a third term – he says – an association is made up of many entrepreneurs, so a change is not only correct but necessary. It is right that everyone brings their own experiences and their own modus operandi, the strength of an association is also being able to change over time and always being able to improve thanks to new ideas. Therefore in two years there will be another entrepreneur who will take my place.” Despite his firm intention not to continue after 2026, Ponginibbi defines the experience he has been living for four years as “beautiful and educational, even if demanding, because it certainly requires a lot of time to dedicate. I have had and am having the opportunity to deal with many companies and situations and to learn about many previously unknown cases: I believe it is a baggage that I will carry with me forever”. And regarding the next – last – two years of mandate, Ponginibbi states that Confapi’s mission in Piacenza “is and will always remain that of growing by gaining the trust of Piacenza companies thanks to the services and consultancy that can be given effectively”. “Our goal – he explains – is growth, especially in terms of the quality of the services we offer. In these first four years, despite the pandemic, the absence of microchips, inflation and wars, we have still grown and have always ensured quality work. Two years ago we inaugurated the new headquartersan important change of pace to make modern and useful spaces available to members for the training we carry out SMEs in shape, a flagship. The objective is to continue on this path and always be, as we have been in recent years, a good interlocutor for the municipal administration, with which we have an excellent relationship, which we thank, and for which we want to continue to be an added value for the proposals on our territory”.
_Francesco Petronzio
