Rome, 15 december 2022 – SACE, the Italian insurance-financial group, directly controlled by the Ministry of Economy and Finance, specialised in supporting businesses and the
national economic fabric; Unioncamere, the public body that looks after and represents the general interests of the Chambers of Commerce and other bodies of the Italian Chamber system; and
Assocamerestero, the Association of Italian Chambers of Commerce Abroad, have signed a memorandum of understanding with the aim of promoting the internationalisation and export of small
and medium-sized Italian companies, through a synergic collaboration that brings together skills, knowledge and services.
Internationalisation is an important tool for enhancing Made in Italy and, more generally, the Italian economic fabric, as is also demonstrated by the attention paid to PNRR-related investments.
Therefore, today the collaboration between SACE and the Chamber of Commerce system becomes strategic in order to work in synergy, creating new tools and enhancing those already in place,
combining expertise and skills for the benefit of Italian companies wishing to enter foreign markets or strengthen their presence.
SACE, Unioncamere, and Assocamerestero will give life to joint ‘business-friendly’ project initiatives, contributing – on the basis of their specific skills and networks in Italy and abroad –
to strengthening the Italian production fabric and promoting new, innovative, and sustainable business models. The collaboration will embrace different areas, from offering business promotion,
accompaniment and training tools to improve one’s digital and sustainability skills, to promoting and supporting one’s competitiveness through financial instruments dedicated to
internationalisation, to raising awareness among enterprises on gender issues, also through joint research activities.
“Fostering the internationalisation of SMEs and supporting their growth in Italy and abroad is one of SACE’s missions that is also stressed in the 23-25 Business Plan” said Alessandra
Ricci, CEO of SACE. “Participation in this agreement once again demonstrates the role we can play not only with our insurance-financial tools, but also with the SACE Education training hub
and with all our business promotion activities. The objective shared with the entire chamber system is to provide SMEs with the tools and knowledge they need to increase their competitiveness in
international markets, where today important growth opportunities are being played out for the entire Made in Italy sector”.
“The chamber of commerce system wants to contribute to the goal of increasing the number of exporting companies and increasing the volume of Italian exports.” reiterates Unioncamere
President Andrea Prete. “For this purpose, we intend to continue in the provision of tools specifically aimed at SMEs – especially potential and occasional exporters – to increase the
competitiveness of businesses, ensure the strengthening of digital and green skills, and facilitate access to the various lines of funding, also in the context of the PNRR and the new 2021-2027
structural funds programming. From this point of view, this institutional collaboration will be of strategic importance to spread SACE’s tools to support internationalisation among SMEs,
enabling companies to grow further in international markets”.
“We are confident that we can bring to this agreement contents that are very special and above all very useful for Italian small and medium-sized enterprises. The Italian Chambers of Commerce
Abroad, – says Mario Pozza, President of Assocamerestero – are associations led by entrepreneurs of Italian origin who have rooted in the business communities of the main world
markets the business know-how typical of made in Italy. This is why we are able to shorten the distance between Italian companies and foreign markets, helping SMEs to enhance on these markets
those elements that today increasingly distinguish a global company, namely digital and sustainability. We are very pleased with this agreement because it will allow us to develop a truly
effective collaboration in accompanying and supporting the Italian entrepreneurial system in global markets.”
SACE
SACE is the Italian insurance-financial company, a subsidiary of the Ministry of Economy and Finance, specialised in supporting businesses and the national economic fabric through a wide range of
instruments and solutions to support competitiveness in Italy and worldwide. For over forty years, SACE has been the reference partner for Italian companies exporting and growing in foreign
markets. It also supports the banking system in facilitating companies’ access to credit with its financial guarantees, with a role reinforced by the extraordinary measures provided for in the
Liquidity Decree and the Simplification Decree. The recent measures have, in fact, broadened SACE’s mandate beyond the traditional support for exports and internationalisation, adding important
elements such as support for corporate investments on the domestic market and guarantees for green projects in the implementation of Italy’s Green New Deal. This new mandate makes SACE an
institution committed to promoting the development of the Country System. With a portfolio of insured transactions and guaranteed investments amounting to 165 billion euros, SACE serves over 25
thousand companies, mainly SMEs, supporting their growth in Italy and in approximately 200 foreign markets.
Unioncamere
Unioncamere – the Italian Union of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Crafts and Agriculture – is the public body that unites and institutionally represents the Italian Chamber system. Founded in
1901, it implements and manages services and activities of interest to the Chambers of Commerce and economic categories, coordinating the initiatives of the system through directives and
guidelines to the bodies that are part of it.
For the exercise of the functions and tasks entrusted by law to the Chamber bodies, Unioncamere stipulates with central state administrations, national or local public bodies, programme
agreements, understandings and conventions promoting and supporting the connection of the Chamber System with business, consumer and workers’ organisations.
At European level, it ensures the representation of the Italian Chambers of Commerce within Eurochambres, the association that brings together the chamber systems of Europe.
Assocamerestero
Assocamerestero is the Association of the 84 Italian Chambers of Commerce Abroad (CCIE) and Unioncamere. The ICCAs are private foreign associations made up of Italian and foreign entrepreneurs and
professionals, based on the principle of binationality, recognised by the Italian government under Law 518/70 and rooted in the countries with the largest Italian presence in the world. The CCIE
network has more than 160 points of presence around the world, employing 500 people, and about 20,000 associates (88% of which are local companies that recognise Italy as a partner for their
business or investment operations). Operating in 61 markets, – where more than 80% of Italy’s trade exchange takes place – the CCIEs carry out strategic actions to support the internationalisation
of companies, the promotion of Italian products and the enhancement of the Italian business community around the world.
