Italian industrial history
Industry is the backbone of any economy. Throughout the history of the formation of Italian industry, there have been structural changes. It accounts for about 2.5 of the national income.
Resources are distributed unevenly across Italy. In the industry of Italy, heavy industry, in particular engineering, predominates. The metallurgy, chemical industry, and electric power industry are quite seriously developed. Sales volumes in the industrial sector for recent times decreased by 1.6%.
Main industries in Italy
- engineering,
- textile industry,
- chemical industry,
- food industry,
- metallurgy,
- electrical industry,
- shipbuilding
Let's consider them in more detail.
Engineering.
The leading branch of the Italian industry is mechanical engineering, which provides the country's entire consumer market in cars. Agricultural machine building and tractor building are quite well developed. Italy is known not only for the production of machines, but also for the production of equipment.
Mechanical engineering is a diversified industry. Mechanical engineering includes:
- automotive,
- machine tool manufacturing,
- production of computers,
- machine tool building,
- business equipment,
- electrical engineering production
Remark 1
The main products of the industry are cars. The leading role among manufacturers is a powerful concern-FIAT. Other firms are Ferrari, Maserati and Lancia. Italy is the ancestor of the scooter, which are used all over the world.
Textile industry.
The second place in terms of production in Italy is occupied by the test industry. The country is engaged in the production of wool, linen, fabric, knitwear. Factories are mainly located in the North of the country.
Chemical industry.
The production of the chemical industry works with imported raw materials, but also quite often uses imported raw materials. The main petrochemical plants operate in the north of the country. Mainly produce plastic and chemical fiber. The production of fertilizers is developing, the production of essences and essential oils. Italy produces rubber and synthetic rubber. About 1/4 of the chemical industry is controlled by Montedison.
Food industry.
Back to main industries Food Industry include wine products, flour and pasta. Italy is famous for about 5,000 varieties of wine, a third of which is exported. The main winemaking is represented in the south of the country. The state of Italy is actively investing in the wine industry. Plantations for the production of red wine are expanding.
Metallurgy.
Insufficient fuel base makes Italy dependent on others foreign economic relations. For example, coal is imported entirely from the United States. Metallurgy is mainly tied to ports through which raw materials are imported or to major centers mechanical engineering, i.e. to markets. The largest and technically the association "Findser". The main exported product is cold-rolled sheet steel. The aluminum industry is quite well developed.
Electrical industry.
Italy has developed quite a strong electrical industry. The main center of production of this type of goods is located in Milan.
Remark 2
Shipbuilding is another of Italy's leading industries. More than 1 million workers are employed in production. The Italcantieri company owns the majority of shipbuilding capacities.
In addition, in Italy there are other productions:
- pharmaceuticals;
- production of telecommunications equipment
- perfume and cosmetics industry
Italy is engaged in the production of children's toys, modeling goods, etc.
Modern state of industry in Italy
Over the past six months, Italy has increased its growth rate by 1.4%. These figures exceeded analysts' expectations. Industrial enterprises are increasing volumes. To date, they have grown by 3.2%. The automotive industry was especially distinguished, the volume of which increased by 10.8%.
Industry for Italy remains the basis and plays a huge role in the development and welfare of the state's economy. It is subject to constant restructuring, new innovative technologies are being introduced, new methods are being introduced. By modern standards, almost all industries are profitable business and fairly common.
With the development of scientific and technological progress, the role of industry is growing and is inextricably linked with mechanization, automation, electrification and heating of production, causing intensive growth in the national economy.
In addition, the Italian industry is facing a number of problems. The country is divided into economic zones. The northern zone is quite strongly developed, while the south, on the contrary, is mired in unemployment.
Production in Italy has taken a course for export, it depends very much on the quality of products. Italian products have proven their quality. Italian brands of the textile industry have become symbols of luxury. However, Italy is forced to buy all raw materials abroad. In addition, in 2017, Italy was the only one to lose its credit rating, and experts consider it the weakest link in the eurozone.
Despite this, quite a large amount of funds are invested in the industry every year. In Italy, there are multinational corporations that were built from scratch or converted from another enterprise. Not only private enterprises invest in the market, but also the state, grants are annually allocated for the development of this sector, not only production is encouraged, but also new technologies. Italian industry is always on high level. The produced goods are trusted not only in the domestic market, but also in the external one.
Italy is one of the most developed countries in the world with a well-diversified industrial-agrarian economy. Italian companies supply the world market with products from the machine-building, chemical, food, petrochemical, metallurgical and light industries. Many Italian brands have achieved popularity all over the world, and the "Made in Italy" tag has become a symbol of quality and reliability.
Italy made an impressive breakthrough in the economy after the Second World War, going from a dilapidated agrarian country to one of the most developed industrial states in the world. Currently, Italy is in 8th place in the world in terms of GDP, in 10th place in terms of purchasing power parity, GDP per capita is $28.3 thousand per year.
However, the Italian economy is experiencing some difficulties, and the industrial north remains more developed and wealthy than the agrarian south. In addition, the country is in dire need of effective solutions in the field of waste management: the littering of Italian cities, caused by a relatively small territory and a large population, has already become a pan-European problem.
At the beginning of the 21st century, the Italian economy was faced with the problem of the withdrawal of production capacities by the largest companies in the countries East Asia where workers are paid much less. This led to an increase in unemployment. Increasing competition from Chinese companies has forced many Italian manufacturers to focus on high-end products.
The Italian economy suffers from high taxes, large public debt, problems in the labor market and insufficient efficiency of public administration.
The tourism sector is the most stable. The cities of the Italian coast annually receive millions of tourists - this is one of the most popular destinations in the world. The southern agrarian regions, located far from the sea, lag behind in development, and the industrial north, despite all the problems, remains the most prosperous part of the country.
Branches of the Italian economy
Gross domestic product The Italian economy is distributed as follows:
- service sector enterprises, tourism - 71%
- industrial giants - 27%;
- agricultural sector - 2%.
Least developed area- extractive industry. There are few minerals in Italy, 90% mineral resources and energy carriers the country is forced to import from abroad. Italy is in fourth place in terms of electricity consumption in the European Union, while it is very dependent on imports of this resource. Approximately 50 billion kWh is imported into the country annually, which corresponds to 16% of total consumption. After the closure of nuclear power plants in 1986, Italy's dependence on foreign electricity suppliers increased.
Agriculture
Agriculture and cattle breeding are traditional areas for Italy, dating back to ancient times. The Greeks, who landed in the Apennines several millennia ago, called Italy "the land of calves." Despite the relative poverty of local soils and the predominance of mountainous terrain, in agriculture 1.4 million people in Italy are employed. The main agricultural production units are family farms with land plots of about 7 hectares.
In northern Italy, rice, beans, corn, soybeans, sugar beets, and potatoes are grown. There are many meat and dairy farms here. The southern regions grow wheat, vegetables, fruits on an industrial scale, make olive oil and wine. In the foothills of the Apennines, goats and sheep are grown, in the north - cows and pigs.
In general, crop production occupies 60% of total share agricultural product, the rest is for animal husbandry. Italian fishing makes a very modest contribution to the country's GDP within the limits of statistical error.
Manufacturing industry
The Italian economy is based on small and medium-sized businesses, small family firms, opened many years ago, inherited and developed over generations. Thus were created the most famous Italian companies, which made up the industrial glory of this country.
The machine-building industry is notable for its special development: Italian companies are consistently included in the ranking of the world's best manufacturers of passenger cars and trucks, agricultural machinery. Italian furniture, textiles, building materials are traditionally in high demand all over the world.
Italy's major industry is concentrated in northern regions. Lombardy, Piedmont and Veneto are industrial giants that employ tens of thousands of Italians. Of national importance is one of the world's largest automobile concerns FIAT, whose main production facilities are located in the capital of the Piedmont region - Turin.
Location of the main industrial enterprises in the north of the country is no accident: the proximity of other European countries facilitates the exchange of goods, in addition, in the foothills of the Alps are the largest Italian hydroelectric power plants.
Italian large-scale industry is represented by:
- Automotive industry. Manufacture of cars and heavy trucks, spare parts, motorcycles, etc. The key corporation in this industry is the Fiat Group, which includes companies such as Fiat, Lamborghini, Ferrari, Alfa Romeo, Maserati, Lancia, Pagani and Iveco (the world's largest truck manufacturer). Ducati, Piaggio and Cagiva make high quality motorcycles.
- Shipbuilding. The Italian corporation Fincantieri is one of the world's key manufacturers of civil and commercial ships. Isotta Fraschini Motori manufactures marine engines, while the CRDA concern manufactures military vessels.
- Chemical production. The main company in this area is Pirelli, the world's largest tire manufacturer.
- metallurgy. Tenaris and Riva make steel.
- pharmaceutical industry. Italian medicines produced by Menarini or Artsana are known all over the world.
- Energy. Companies such as Enel and Sorgenia are widely known in this area.
- The production of weapons. Helicopters are manufactured by Agusta Westland, protective systems- MBDA, tanks and artillery installations - OTO Melara, light weapons, pistols and machine guns - Beretta.
- Electronics. Indesit and Candy companies supply household electrical appliances to the market, competing on equal terms with Japanese and Korean appliances.
- Oil refining. ENI is widely known in this segment.
- It is impossible not to mention the Italian food producers: Ferrero, Parmalat, Autogrill, Barilla. In addition to the largest food concerns, there are a great many small firms that produce products of the highest quality: cheese, wine, olive oil, chocolate, milk, canned food, etc.
- Italy is the world's largest manufacturer of branded clothing, shoes and accessories, a trendsetter. Brands such as Gucci, D&G, Armani, Versace, Safilo or Paciotti are well known all over the world.
- The Italian industry is suffering from increased competition from Asian economies. This is especially noticeable in the areas of electronics, clothing and footwear. The situation is exacerbated by bureaucracy and high taxes.
- Tourism industry, service sector, finance
- About 4.5 million enterprises are registered in Italy, of which 99.9% belong to the categories of small and medium-sized businesses. In 95% of firms, the number of employees does not exceed 10 people. Most of these enterprises operate in the service sector: trade, tourism, information support, real estate, etc.
- Small and medium-sized businesses are the basis of the Italian economy, the most important source of jobs: over 80% of Italians work in small firms. The service sector brings the economy 72.4% VAT.
- The service employs approximately 67% of working Italians. Unlike other sectors of the economy, the number of enterprises in the service sector is growing every year.
- Tourism and trade account for 2.08 million Italian companies. The banking sector at the beginning of the 21st century is actively implementing Newest technologies, which led to the optimization of the work of banks and, as a result, to the reduction of jobs in this segment. Italian banks often have businesses in other areas of activity: construction, insurance, publishing. AT last years in Italy there is a steady trend towards the merger of banking and insurance structures.
Import and export
In general, there is parity between Italian imports and exports, with a slight dominance of imports. The country mainly imports energy carriers, minerals and fertilizers.
The state authorities have initiated reforms aimed at overcoming the backlog in the scientific field, but so far Italy has to import technology, as this industry in the country is developing slowly.
An important point: 70% of Italian imports are processed in the country and become part of the export.
Italian exports are based on cars, textiles, tires, electronics, weapons, food. Made in Italy products are widely popular all over the world, but their sales and reputation are harmed by a huge amount of Chinese counterfeiting.
Germany is Italy's key trading partner, France is in second place, followed by the United States, countries of Eastern Europe, United Kingdom. The share of exports to China is gradually increasing.
Integration of the Italian economy into the world
Large Italian companies are tightly integrated into the European and world economy and, in fact, are transnational corporations. The Italian economy is closely connected with the EU economy: 48% of Italian exports go to the EU countries, companies from the Apennine Peninsula, in turn, buy almost all types of goods in Europe.
Italy is a member of the European Economic Community, the European Coal and Steel Community and Euroatom.
Foreign relations in the economic sphere play a key role for Italy. Without imported raw materials, energy carriers, fertilizers and semi-finished products, the economy will quickly decline. In addition, the country needs new markets for GDP growth. finished products. This is especially true for agriculture.
Conclusion
The economic potential of Italy remains very high, despite a number of existing problems. Technological production, the widespread introduction of modern scientific achievements, highest quality products and the investment attractiveness of the country partially offset the dependence of the Italian economy on imported resources.
States. This direction accounts for more than 28% of the total local GDP. Moreover, almost half of all working residents are involved here. If we talk about the sectoral structure of Italian industry, then 76% of it is the manufacturing sector.
mechanical engineering
The Italian engineering industry is considered one of the most important and most dynamic sectors of the country's economy. More recently, its main centers were Turin, Milan and Genoa. Currently, this sphere has spread to other regions of the state. Now significant machine-building capacities are located in Florence, Venice, Bologna and Trieste. The automotive industry has become a key direction in this industry. Every year, the state produces about two million cars, as well as a huge number of mopeds, motorcycles and bicycles. The Fiat concern plays a leading role here. Its headquarters is located in the city of Turin, and production facilities are located in almost all regions of the country. In the Lombard cities, Naples and Turin, the production of air transport has been established, while the Italian shipbuilding industry is concentrated in Genoa, Livorno, La Spezia and Trieste.
Power generation
The state produces about 190 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually. Almost 65% of this amount falls on thermal power plants, which are located in the most big cities. They function both on their own and on imported raw materials. A little less than one third of the electricity is generated by hydroelectric power stations built on the Alpine rivers. The entire remaining share falls on objects from the sphere alternative energy. Interesting feature industry lies in the fact that not a single nuclear power plant operates in the state, which was the result of a national referendum held in 1987.
Oil industry
The country is rather poor in minerals, including black gold. Here it is mined in small quantities (total about 1.5 million tons per year) in Lombardy, Sicily and on the shelf of the Adriatic Sea. The specialization of such Italy as oil refining on imported raw materials does not prevent it from being ahead of other Western European states in volumes. Most of the factories that operate in the sphere are concentrated in the port areas. It is here that raw materials come from the Middle East, Russia and some North African countries. However, thanks to the developed network of oil pipelines, such enterprises operate successfully in other regions as well.
Metallurgy
The metallurgical industry of Italy does not have its own sources of raw materials either. Similar to the industries mentioned above, the sphere is focused on imports, so its key enterprises are concentrated in the area of large ports. Processing plants operate mainly in large industrial cities, where scrap metal accumulates in significant volumes. The country annually smelts about 250 thousand tons of aluminum and about 25 million tons of steel. Combines are oriented towards them, which are located near sources of electricity - Alpine hydroelectric power stations.
Light industry
Far from the largest, but extremely important branch of the state's economy is the light industry of Italy. It is represented, as a rule, by small companies scattered throughout the territory. The country has become one of the world leaders in terms of production, second only to China in this indicator. The textile industry is at a high level of development, the main production facilities of which are concentrated in the northern regions - Piedmont and Lombardy. The northwestern regions of the state, in particular Tuscany, Marche and Veneto, are the centers of the shoe, leather and clothing industries. One of the few areas that is characterized by constant growth is the food industry, which operates both on imported and on its own raw materials. The volume of production here annually increases by an average of 3%. The specialization of Italian industry in this direction is largely associated with the production of olive oil. The country accounts for about one-third of its production worldwide.
Chemical industry
Sales of the industry's products are primarily focused on meeting the needs of their own industry. At the same time, part of it is exported to the United States and the countries of the so-called common market.
Conclusion
In this article about the industry of Italy, only its main branches are briefly described. In many other areas of activity since the post-war years, the state has also made a significant breakthrough. Among them, it should be noted electrical and furniture industry, the production of luxury goods, weapons, as well as the bioindustry.
Keine Übersetzungen vorhanden.
Industry is the leading sector of the Italian economy. It provides about 2/5 of the national income, and it accounts for more than 2/5 of all employed people. Italy is very insufficiently and unevenly provided with raw materials and energy resources. The Italian manufacturing industry is based primarily on imported raw materials. The industry of Italy is dominated by heavy industry, the leading role in which belongs to mechanical engineering. In recent years, metallurgy, electric power, chemical and petrochemical industries have also developed significantly. Basically, the country has developed industries that require qualified work force, relatively few raw materials and fuels and produce mostly mass products.
Sales volumes in Italian industry in July 2009 decreased by 1.6% compared to June and by 25.4% compared to same period last year.
- mechanical engineering
Agricultural machine-building is developing, tractor-building to the greatest extent. On the world market, Italy is also known as a manufacturer of machinery and equipment for plastics processing and for the rubber industry. The international specialization of Italy is also the production of equipment for the textile, footwear, food and printing industries. In general, machine-building enterprises are concentrated in the industrial North.
Among the branches of mechanical engineering, the automotive industry stands out in particular. Italy is one of largest suppliers cars to the world market. The main products of the industry are cars. The leading position in the industry is occupied by the FIAT concern - the most powerful of the private companies in Italy and one of the largest companies peace. This diversified concern, whose activities provide big impact throughout the Italian economy, occupies one of the first places in Europe in the production of cars and trucks, motorcycles and tractors, various engines.
At the factories of the concern, scattered throughout the country, they produce not only cars, but also trucks, buses, engines various types, electric locomotives, trams, trolleybuses, tractors, etc. Most FIAT enterprises are located in Turin and its environs. FIAT car factories also appeared in the South of Italy - near Naples and in Palermo. The factories of other, less significant automobile firms - "FERRARI", "MASERATI", "LANCHA" are located in the north - in Milan, Turin, Bolzano, Modena, and also near Naples. Italy is the birthplace of the scooter. Italian scooters and motorcycles are in great demand among local population and are known in many countries of the world.
- textile industry
- chemical industry
The Italian chemical industry specializes in the production of organic products. Highest value have the production of plastics and chemical fibers, car tires, pharmaceuticals. The oldest area of the chemical industry is Milan, although a significant part of the chemicals is also produced in seaports, where petrochemical plants are located. About 1/4 of the chemical industry is controlled by Montedison.
- food industry
- metallurgy
- electrical industry
- shipbuilding
The second in terms of production is the textile industry. It exports knitwear, fabrics and yarn from silk, wool, cotton, flax, hemp and chemical fibers to the world market. Italy ranks second in footwear production (after the US) and first in the world in footwear exports.
huge role in state economy has the food industry. The south of Italy is famous for its flour milling industry. The country occupies a leading world position in the production and export of flour and the famous Italian pasta. About a hundred sugar factories are scattered along Padanskaya. In addition, the canning industry is well developed. Italy exports canned fruits and vegetables, meat and fish. Dairy farming flourishes in the northern part of the country. Almost the entire dairy industry is concentrated here. A huge number of different varieties of Italian cheese are widely known around the world. Italy also provides a third of all olive oil produced in the world. Separate place The country's exports are wine, which is more than 1,700 tons per year and a fifth of the world market.
Speaking of Italy's exports, one cannot fail to mention the furniture industry. Lovers of high-quality, expensive, exclusive interior items appreciate the furniture fittings produced under trademarks this country. The same is absolutely true for mattresses, here Italian manufacturers no equal.
The bowels of this country are rich in deposits of marble, granite, clay, gypsum, asbestos, limestone, etc., which contributes to the production and export building materials. The manufacture of faience products is widespread, the roots of these traditions stretch back to ancient times. And, of course, it should be noted that another pride of Italy is the jewelry industry. Venice, Rome, Florence have long been famous throughout the world for their jewelry.
