The news of the launch of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan by the Draghi Government has given a lot to think about. The sentiments gathered in the Logistics and Transport sector are cautiously optimistic, considering the period of growth and the recovery, even if very gradual, of activities expected throughout 2021. Domenico De Rosa, CEO of SMET as well as chairman of the ALIS Motorways of the Sea Commission, enthusiastically welcomed the Draghi government’s plan and the allocation of 630 million euros for structural investments plus a further 1.2 billion euros reserved for interventions in the main ports of Southern Italy.

Domenico De Rosa, CEO of SMET, said: «We welcome the provision in the National Recovery and Resilience Plan to destinate 630 million euros for infrastructure investments aimed at ensuring adequate development of the connections between SEZs (Special Economic Zones) and the national transport network, particularly the Trans-European Networks (TEN-T). This of the ZES zones is an extraordinary opportunity for intermodal transport but also for the economic development of entire logistic and semi-industrial districts».

Development but not only. The fear is that we are focusing too much on new works and not enough on the maintenance of existing ones, especially those in the South, which is lagging far behind Northern Italy and even further behind Northern Europe. This is an appeal that De Rosa has already made to the executive in recent months and which risks going unheeded, as well as the issue of the lack of funds for the automotive sector.

«We are sincerely surprised to have to observe the scarcely comprehensible absence of the automotive sector in the PNRR – commented the SMET Administrator critically – We believe that a highly strategic sector such as this is certainly for our country to be at the centre of an effective plan for a real industrial relaunch, and that only in this way can it be valorised as a flywheel for the entire economy and generate work».