In order to drive home the importance to the Italian economy of design as a core component of the international success of the “Made in Italy” brand, the participants at this roundtable likened the sector to oil, in the sense of being a form of “energy” fueled by the history, culture, and flair for style and beauty that have helped forge Italy’s image abroad over the centuries. This image can rest assured of its considerable appeal, stemming in part from the international appreciation of a lifestyle that continues to draw accolades globally.
It was noted, however, that globalization presents a challenge that Italian firms – which are small, and sometimes very small indeed – have not always been or are not always able to meet. Put briefly, their reduced size turns into a weak point that hinders their ability to compete in a new system, where language skills, a greater level of capitalization, and a managerial capacity to operate effectively in a global market have become essential. It is evident that the industrial model which underpins Italy’s big design sector, which has taken shape since the Second World War, will not be the one that enables the industry to prosper over the next fifty years, thus entailing a paradigm shift towards the formation of industrial agglomerations.
The participants highlighted that the craftsmanship and know-how that characterize Italian firms, often taken to a level excellence by them, have also become factors that can be employed to showcase the production process itself, and, hence, not just the product that is the outcome of that process, by offering tourists and consumers the opportunity to share in the manufacturing experience through visits to production facilities. It was suggested that this helps individuals appreciate that the quality of products lies not just in their workmanship but also in what they embody. In other words, quality is not simply the result of the manual skill or handiwork of artisans, but also, and above all, of their culture, taste, and history, culminating in an artifact that is rich with meaning and unique.
Yet while it was acknowledged that craftsmanship is a key asset, the participants stressed the increasingly pressing need to face the challenge posed by new technologies, which necessitate greater training for those working in the design industry. Indeed, the Internet-of-Things approach is gaining momentum, which entails the incorporation of a technological dimension into production processes, supply chains, and actual products themselves. High-level training therefore becomes essential to ensure continued innovation, which is increasingly more complex to achieve given that greater skills are required. Design must today be based on a combination of creativity which respects tradition but also has the courage to open itself up to being tainted by international influences and to developing a body of knowledge that is not detached from the new core technologies, including so as to effectively expand the reach of designed products through e-commerce, which – as far as the sector in question is concerned – was considered to be still at a rudimentary stage of development in Italy.
As a final point, the participants underlined that in order to market the concept of “Making in Italy” rather than just “Made in Italy”, it is essential for the messaging of Italy as a brand to be uniform, based on a concerted effort that showcases the country’s strengths instead of simply highlighting its weaknesses. It was felt that a contribution to the construction of this narrative can and should be made by the tourism industry, fueled by an astute and updated range of offerings (perhaps taken up to a whole new level), as well as through the joint efforts of the country’s education system, political leaders, and public authorities.