“Accelerating the Digital Transition for SMEs: Challenges and Opportunities” is the theme of the Conference organized by Amb. Luca Sabbatucci, Permanent Representative of Italy to the International Organizations, on the sidelines of the OECD ministerial meeting on small and medium-sized enterprises. The Conference, held on 27 June, promoted a dialogue between the main exponents of the Italian public and private sector, the OECD and the representatives of some of the most important multinational companies.
The event offered an important opportunity to reflect on the best strategies to enhance the digitization of Small and Medium Enterprises, improving their efficiency, competitiveness and resilience in the face of future shocks. At the opening, the Deputy Minister for Enterprise and Made in Italy, Valentino Valentini focused on the actions in support of SMEs, which constitute the backbone of the Italian economy, in line with the intervention made during the ministerial meeting. Distinguished speakers discussed the opportunities and risks that the double transition, green and digital, presents for SMEs. Speakers included Fabrizia Lapecorella (OECD Deputy Secretary General), Lamia Kamal-Chaoui (Director of the OECD Center for Entrepreneurship, SMEs, Regions and Cities), Lucia Cusmano (Deputy Head of the Entrepreneurship, SMEs and Tourism Division of the OECD); Anna Maria Roscio (Executive Director of Corporate Sales and Marketing of Banca Intesa Sanpaolo) and Sebastiano Toffaletti (European Digital SMEs Alliance). The theme of developing and perfecting skills within SMEs was then discussed by Professor Salvatore Zecchini, President of the Informal Steering Group on SME Financing, and by Anna Bortolussi, General Manager of Market for Amazon Italy. Afterwards, Agostino Santoni, Vice President of Confindustria, examined the digitization process and the competitiveness of Italian companies. In conclusion, Claudia Tola, ICE Digital Export Academy Manager, presented the ICE advanced training course for Italian companies on the digital theme.
Digitization as a process of reinvention of the entrepreneurial business model and a long-term path to innovation: this was the message that emerged during the broad and participatory debate, which revealed a strong correlation between the increase in the competitiveness of SMEs and the adoption of innovative digital tools.
