Il Sole 24 Ore - Saturday 13 May 2023 – N.130
Siracusa, the record export of the area represents 69% of all Sicily
Confindustria
Sales abroad grew by 76%, the per capita added value is also good
Bivona: “On the Priolo area, a round table with the Region to achieve the objectives”
Nino Amadore
Siracusa
The year 2022 closed with a 76% increase in exports compared to 2021, that represents 69% of Sicilian exports, the per capita added value shows a clear increase, with a growth of 6.8% compared to the previous year, to which the industrial sector contributes with 56.6%. This is the scenario, in summary, of the province of Siracusa discussed during the annual meeting of Confindustria which was held yesterday at Irem, a jewel of the metalworking industry with four thousand employees and a widespread presence in the world. The data confirm, if anything were needed, the centrality of the industrial area of the Aretusea province and confirm the importance of one of the largest European energy hubs. The data also confirm the need, for this hub, for greater attention from politics while Contractors ask for a brake on European policies which "often - they say - have only an ideological flavor". Because the message that arrives here from Brussels is that of dislike and the feeling is that the EU does not want to take any account of the programs of the companies that stay here to invest, to improve plants, to go in the direction of the ecological transition. "if the objectives that are set are unrealistic, isolated and ideologically oriented, the real risk is that the environmental question, from a necessity that becomes an opportunity, it is transformed into propaganda which is not only unproductive but even counterproductive" says the president of Confindustria Siracusa Diego Bivona in his opening speech.
The context is that of an area that employs 1,000 people, made up of large companies interconnected with each other but also of small and medium-sized companies, including innovative ones. Having escaped the danger of the closure of the Isab refineries and having taken note of the acquisition of the company by Goi Energy, the hub is preparing to face the challenges ahead. <<It was possible to avoid the worst only thanks to the significant involvement of a responsible government - says Bivona again. Today we are asking for the establishment of a permanent round table for continuous and transparent comparison between the companies, the Region which must make the investment implementation times reachable, the National government which must intervene with the EU, to face those limits which do not encourage the transition, and identify sources of incentive financing that help the refining sector>>.
A quarter of the country's essential energy needs come from here, from this hub. The Minister Adolfo Urso tries to give an answer and in the meantime announces a measure dedicated to refining:
”We will bring to the Council of Ministers a provision that arises from the problems pertinent to the refining system in Italy, also following the discussion we have made together with the other players in the refining sector. It will aid to boost the transition in the refinery sector and in the oil system of our country”. As for the relationship with Europe, the minister claims the effectiveness of the action started «He says, we are committed in Europe to ensure that the transition is sustainable. We have reopened the dossier on light vehicles. We succeeded. It seemed impossible. We have shown that there may be a future for the endothermic powered engine and fuel and I wish more biofuel powered. In every dossier of environmental and industrial nature, we act by increasing our consensus in Europe so that this transition is truly sustainable for the Italian and European industrial and social system".
THE SITE
The district employs 10,000 people between large interconnected companies and innovative SMEs
THE ROLE OF ISAB
A quarter of the need for essential energy products for the country comes from this hub
