ROMA (ITALPRESS) – Companies remain positive about the near future, despite international tensions and high energy. For 2026, 27.5% of companies expect sales growth of at least 3%, 19.8% an increase in exports and 15.8% of employment. An orientation that is also confirmed for the forecasts of 2027, 25.9% of companies estimate an increase in turnover, 20.6% of exports and 13% of employees. Even more confident young people are: for 2026, 37.6% estimates a growth in turnover, 34.8% of foreign sales and 24.3% of employment, while for next year the shares are at 33.3%, 34.1% and 21.4% respectively. This is what emerges from the analysis of Unioncamere and its Centro Studi Tagliacarne on a sample of about 4,500 manufacturing companies and services with employees between 5 and 499 units.
However, the surge in the energy bill on corporate costs concerns more than 70% of companies and 43.4% estimates a reduction in profit margins. Also for this reason within the next three years 36.1% of the companies are planning to realize green investments and 38% in digital.
“Companies seem to have learned to live with the situation of permanent uncertainty of the international framework, reacting more quickly and adapting their strategies to an ever-changing scenario,” says Unioncamere’s president, Andrea Prete. “Despite uncertainty, in fact, the confidence of entrepreneurs has remained substantially stable in the last three years, after the decline recorded in 2022 following the outbreak of the Russian-Ukraine war. In this context, the increase in energy costs is one of the most concrete consequences of international instability. It is not surprising, therefore, that more than a third of companies respond by investing in green, especially through interventions aimed at energy saving, with a choice that combines sustainability and competitiveness”.
Overall, the business base is showing resilient: 27.5% of companies are expected to close the business round with a sign more than 2025, more than half of companies aim to confirm their turnover.
But 20.1% makes more trouble and estimates a decline in business. Substantially online the expectations for 2027 remain with 25.9% that indicates a growth and 50.4% that previews a stationary. While more contained the share of the companies that previews a bending of their turnover, pairs to 7.1%, however in the face of an increase of uncertainty since 16.7% does not know what to expect.
In order to support your business, companies will continue to invest in digital technology, particularly with regard to artificial intelligence. 21.8% of business enterprises have already invested in IA between 2023 and 2025 or intends to do so in the next three years.
Also to accompany the innovative processes introduced in its organization, 53.6% plans to invest in improving technical and professional skills for the three-year period 2026-2028. While 52.9% already did it in the three-year period 2023-2025.
-Photo IPA Agency-
(ITALPRESS).
