(AGENPARL) – Rome, 13 June 2024
(AGENPARL) – Thu 13 June 2024 Press Release
A positive 2023 for the businesses of Lucca and Massa-Carrara Pisa faces greater difficulties
Businesses are focusing on financial planning, training, digitalization and sustainability to face the challenges of a slowdown expected in 2024. This is according to the ‘ClimaImpresa’ survey conducted on over 500 companies.
Viareggio, 13 June 2024. The economic situation of the companies of Lucca, Massa-Carrara and Pisa, although worsening compared to the forecasts made in recent months, remains positive overall, with growth in staff and turnover affecting all territories except of Pisa. For 2024, companies in the three provinces expect a further deterioration in terms of turnover, due to global conflicts, the still restrictive monetary policy and the slowdown of partner economies, as well as the end of construction incentives. However, companies are not giving up and during 2024 they plan to adopt some priority actions to face the challenges that await them: improving economic-financial planning, investing in professional training, strengthening digitalisation and promoting sustainable practices to adapt to new market trends . These, in summary, are the results of the annual “ClimaImpresa” survey, conducted this spring by the Chamber of Commerce of North-West Tuscany and the Institute for Studies and Research on a sample of 551 companies in the provinces of Lucca, Massa-Carrara and Pisa, some of which were released in preview on May 17 during the presentation of the annual report on the economy.
“Despite the challenging economic context – states the President of the Chamber of Commerce of North-West Tuscany, Valter Tamburini – the businesses of North-West Tuscany have shown considerable resilience. Our survey highlights that companies are focusing on digitalisation, circular economy and better cash flow management to face future challenges: the Chamber of Commerce is at their side in this journey. Through Digital Enterprise Points (PID), we offer training, assessment and economic support to improve the level of digitalisation of companies. On the subject of sustainability, with the SUSTAINability service we help companies identify development strategies linked to ESG objectives, providing self-assessment tools and operational ideas to improve environmental and social performance. Furthermore, through the INNOVA business school, created in collaboration with the Lucchese Technological Center and the professional associations, we are committed to promoting training for the competitiveness of businesses through an integrated program of meetings dedicated to business management, the protection of industrial property and the application of innovative technologies. We are convinced that, through our commitment and the support of the economic community, businesses in our area will be able to continue to grow and prosper, successfully facing the challenges of the market.”
For businesses in the province of Lucca, the economic picture for 2023 remains positive, although it has deteriorated compared to the forecasts made in recent months. The final data for 2023 say that 37% of companies recorded an increase in turnover, while 32% suffered decreases, generating a positive balance of 5%. Employment also grew by 4.4% compared to the previous year, representing the best change in all of North-West Tuscany. For 2024, the turnover outlook remains moderately positive, despite the worsening recorded in the construction sector due to the end of bonuses and the reduction in the purchasing power of families which impacts above all on trade. The balance between increases and decreases in turnover stood at +4 percentage points. However, on the external side, Lucca businesses are worried about the ECB’s still restrictive monetary policy, war conflicts and the slowdown of the German and Chinese economies, not even neglecting the negative effects of meteorological events. On the internal front, companies in the province of Lucca report the tax pressure, the loss of purchasing power of families and excessive bureaucracy as internal factors impacting. To address these challenges, they intend to strengthen economic-financial planning to counter difficulties on the credit side, invest in employee training to ensure adequate staffing and focus on strengthening the now indispensable digitalisation and energy saving-circular economy processes.
The final economic picture for 2023 in the province of Massa-Carrara remains extremely positive, exceeding the expectations formulated in recent months. In fact, 41% of businesses recorded increases in turnover, while only 19% suffered decreases, leading to a positive balance of 22 points: the best in the area. On the employment front, growth of 0.3% was recorded. However, the prospects for 2024 show a less optimistic climate, especially in the construction sectors, due to the end of bonuses, and trade, in difficulty due to the reduction in the purchasing power of families and new consumption habits. The balance between increases and decreases in turnover drops to -6 percentage points. The main concerns of Massa-Carrara companies regarding global factors concern conflicts, restrictive monetary policy and the slowdown of the main world economies, as well as the (indirect) effects of the blockage of the Suez Canal on the port of Carrara. At a domestic level, the high tax burden, the decrease in the purchasing power of families and excessive bureaucracy are sources of concern. To face the challenges of 2024, Massa-Carrara companies are focusing on employee training, on the optimization of economic-financial planning, given the difficulty in accessing credit, on digitalisation, on energy saving and on the circular economy, in addition to creation of networks between companies to achieve common objectives.
In the province of Pisa, the economic picture of companies in 2023 turned out to be negative: 32% of companies reported increases in turnover, while 35% suffered decreases, generating a negative balance of -3 percentage points. On the employment front, growth of 0.7% was recorded. For 2024, the confidence climate tends to remain negative, due to the worsening in construction and trade, with a balance between increases and decreases in turnover falling to -16 percentage points. Among the global factors that most concern Pisan companies are conflicts, restrictive monetary policy, the slowdown of the main world economies and the blockage of the Suez Canal. As regards internal factors, Pisan companies are worried about the decrease in the purchasing power of families, the high tax pressure and excessive bureaucracy. To face the challenges of 2024, companies intend to invest in improving the planning of economic and financial aspects, since managing the flow of resources is crucial in a context in which credit remains expensive. The professional training of employees is also considered fundamental, considering the difficulty in finding qualified personnel and the strengthening of digitalisation processes and the circular economy represents a priority, given that these practices can significantly contribute to the efficiency and sustainability of company activities.
Attached to this press release is the complete note, which can be downloaded from the website http://www.isr-ms.it.
Chamber of Commerce of North-West Tuscany
http://www.tno.camcom.it
