Made in Italy continues to be told as an excellence recognized everywhere, but the available data show a situation a less linear thread: export grows, but also the dissolution of imitations increases; the attraction between young people increases, but structural problems remain at work; we talk a lot of innovation, but it is not always perceived abroad. The day of April 15, set up to enhance the Italian production system, has become an opportunity to better understand what really works and what remains fragile.
At the Auditorium of the Technique of Confindustria, the main organisation of representation of Italian companies and services, Made in Italy Community brought together companies and institutions to address this discard between reality and perception. The founder Roberto Santori, CEO of Challenge Network SpA, has indicated as priority the construction of a narrative on Made in Italy more extensive and shared: it is necessary to be able to make the variety of Italian production system more legible abroad. Because it is not exclusively about promoting products with banal marketing, but trying to make them recognize as part of a coherent, Italian identity.
The president of Simest, Vittorio de Pedys, recalled that Italy is among the first three exporters in the world in 976 commodity categories. In 2025 the total value of exports reached 643 billion euros, with an increase of 3.3%, driven by +7% of the United States, as underlined by foreign minister Antonio Tajani and by minister Adolfo Urso. We remain, in short, highly competitive internationally, but this is not enough to solve the criticalities related to perception and protection.
The phenomenon of Italian sounding remains one of the main heels of our export: according to a research of Tp Infinity, 45% of international consumers bought at least once products that imitate the Italian ones and 28% declare to have them preferred to the original. This highlights a problem of brand recognition and protection. Giannola Nonino, president of Nonino, recalled the need to protect the names more effectively, as happens in other European countries.
And then there is the relationship with the new generations: 79% of young Italians consider it attractive to work in companies of Made in Italy and 92% associate it with a reason of pride. At the same time precise demands emerge: more competitive salaries, more meritocracy and more structured growth paths. The perception remains different between the internal market and abroad: in Italy Made in Italy is associated mainly with the quality of craftsmanship, while abroad prevails an image linked to luxury and lifestyle, a simplification that contributes to making the diffusion of imitations more effective.
During the morning, the President of the Council Giorgia Meloni, in a video message published on his social channels, spoke of the day as a moment to promote the valorization of Italian historical brands. The register The register of “Historical brands of national interest” has reached a thousand companies, which together generate approximately 100 billion euros of turnover and occupy more than 350 thousand people. In short, Made in Italy is not only culture and pride, but also an important productive segment.
L’articolo How is Made in Italy on National Day of Made in Italy proviene da IlNewyorkese.
