Marco Nocivelli, guest at Edicola 2.0 Bistrot

Marco Nocivelli, Chairman and CEO of Epta, was a guest at Edicola 2.0 Bistrot, a new modern and multimedia format which offers a space dedicated to debates, meetings and cultural events, as well as information.

The mechanical industry as spokesperson for Made in Italy around the world: this was the heart of the round table moderated by the journalist Chiara Rizzo, which saw the presence of Marco Nocivelli, Alessandro Durante, external relations manager of ANIMA, and Daniela Mainini. The latter, a lawyer by profession, is outgoing regional councillor and candidate with the Gori list; she has more than thirty years experience in industrial law and was President of the Grande Milano Study Centre and the Anti-counterfeiting Study Centre and, from 2013 to 2016, head of the Anti-counterfeiting Council of Milan.

With exports worth 440 billion Euro, Italy is among the worldwide leaders: Made in Italy, generally associated to food, design and fashion, actually owes its major achievements to the mechanics sector, which presents the best results in terms of export.

Epta can be cited as an exemplary case: an Italian group which has always invested in Italy, considered strategic in terms of development, which boasts four production sites and a 1,800-strong workforce, exporting Italian expertise to 120 countries worldwide.

The Industry 4.0 Plan, a long-term plan which puts the business back at centre stage to revive the economy by focusing on entrepreneurship, is crucial for supporting Italian companies. The debate was the opportunity to explore the needs of the Industrial policy, and one of the key elements to emerge was the importance of making suitable infrastructure available, both physical and digital, necessary to ensure the best region-wide coverage. It is also essential to commit to education, to encourage initiatives like work-related learning programmes and the preferential choice of technical institutes, to guarantee companies professional figures that meet the needs of Smart Factories.

The focus of the round table then shifted to the protection of Made in Italy, and how it is able to bring extra added value to the national and international market. Patent copying and counterfeiting of spare parts or mechanical components have a very significant impact. For Companies like Epta it becomes crucial to protect themselves from counterfeiting and from the consequent unfair competition when operating internationally. This causes considerable image damage for those who see their brand or products exploited, and generates a high level of economic damage and loss in overall competitiveness for the country.

Marco Nocivelli, Chairman and CEO of Epta, concludes: “As entrepreneur of a family-run business it is crucial for me to maintain the cultural heritage and commit myself to continuing to let it be experienced. This is also closely related to the importance of giving back to the local area and the community what we have received.” He continues, “To do so, it is necessary to invest in logistic and digital infrastructure, as well as young people. We ask for concrete initiatives in favour of culture and education, so that Italian know-how remains in our country and that "4.0 young people, lifeblood of the manufacturing industry of the future, can be inserted into the workplace."