MILAN (ITALPRESS) – The new competition for energy, data and infrastructure security is moving to the sea. It is in the Mediterranean that a decisive match for the competitiveness of Europe and Italy will be played. Thanks to its geographical position and an industrial chain among the most advanced in submarine cables, offshore engineering, shipbuilding and telecommunications, Italy has the opportunity to assert itself as a strategic hub between Europe, Africa and the Middle East for the energy and digital flows of the future.
At the same time, the Italian ports are called to face a transformation to accompany the energy transition and intercept new industrial chains related to renewable energies, electrification and decarbonization.
This is what emerges from the two new researches of the Blue Economy Monitor, the Observatory promoted by Intesa Sanpaolo and SDA Bocconi School of Management that analyzes the main transformations of the sea economy and the contribution that the sector can offer to the sustainable growth and competitiveness of the country.
Elisa Z scope Marsala, Head of Education Ecosystem and Global Value Programs of Intesa Sanpaolo commented: “The Blue Economy confirms itself as one of the most promising development engines for the country, capable of generating innovation, attracting talents, investments and creating new opportunities in strategic areas such as underwater infrastructure, offshore wind, energy transition of ports and digital technologies. Changes in sea economies require new skills and professional profiles. This is why investing in research and training, strengthening the dialogue between enterprises, universities and research, means creating new opportunities for young people, fighting the escape of talent and attracting qualified skills, to benefit the competitiveness of the country in the European and international context.”.
For Stefano Caselli, Dean of SDA Bocconi School of Management “the event today and the research presented contribute not only to the transfer of knowledge, but also to clarify opportunities and risks for the Italian economic system, in a wider perspective of geoeconomic and geopolitical positioning in the Mediterranean”.
The first research highlights how Italy can value its geographical position and the heritage of industrial skills to become a reference point in submarine electrical and digital networks. The study identifies some of the main development drivers of the European Blue Economy in underwater electrical interconnections, telecommunication cables and energy transition infrastructures.
The growth prospects are significant: by 2050 the offshore wind could cover up to 30% of Europe’s electricity requirements, generating a strong expansion of demand for high-voltage submarine cables needed to connect renewable plants, storage systems and increasingly integrated energy networks. The analysis also emphasizes the value of the Italian industrial chain involving leading companies in cable production, underwater engineering, shipbuilding and telecommunications, and represents an important lever for the competitiveness of the country and to seize the growth opportunities of the sector.
The second research analyses the role of Italian ports in the energy transition. The study highlights how the national harbour system is called to manage a deep transformation: a significant share of the goods enlivened in the Italian ports is still linked to fossil fuels, while the opportunities offered by the electrification of the docks, renewable energies, the logistics for the offshore wind and the plans of capture and storage of the CO2.
Through a comparative analysis of the Italian Harbour System Authorities, the research shows a disogenous preparation regarding the new challenges. Some territories are distinguished by the ability to develop projects linked to the energy transition, while others are more exposed to the effects of the progressive reduction of fossil fuel traffic. The two researches converge on a common message: the sea is a strategic lever for the competitiveness and sustainability of the country.
-Photos press office Intesa Sanpaolo-
(ITALPRESS).
