Istituto Acton’s Michael Severance conducts an exclusive interview with Federico Eichberg, a director at Italy’s Ministry of Economic Development since 2000. The theme was “Post-lockdown Italy: Key Drivers for Economic Redevelopment.”
Their conversation covered many urgent topics about Italy’s economic growth drivers, including Italy’s “4 industrial A’s”: “AGROALIMENTARE” (Food & Beverage), “ARREDO” (Furniture & Household Accessories), “ABBIGLIAMENTO” (Clothes & Fashion) and “AUTOMAZIONI” (Automation & Machinery). They also speak of the “4 D’s”, the current challenges to Italy’s growth: “DEBITO” (public debt), “DIMENSION” (size of industry), “DIVARIO’” (divide between north and south); DEMOGRAFIA (demographic factors). While not technically part of the industrial sector, Eichberg also gives his advice on how to transform the Italy’s 5th A – ARTE (art and culture) – into much greater wealth opportunity through what he call’s the “high-tech hospitality” economy.
The interview ends with some practical and spiritual advice to business persons and highlights one of Italy’s entrepreneurial heroes during the COVID-19 crisis, Giovanni Rana.
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