Enterprises, Blue Economy, Value 11.3% of GDP
The Blue Economy is growing four times faster than the rest of the Italian economy and is worth 11.3% of GDP. However, the need for skills risks hindering the development of the supply chain.
The Maritime Economy remains one of the country’s main industrial platforms, with a total value of over €216 billion and employment growth four times faster than the rest of the Italian economy.
This significant boost, however, clashes with an estimated need for approximately 175,000 workers in the coming years.
This is what emerges from the Confindustria–BCG report, which depicts a transversal supply chain – from shipbuilding to logistics, from tourism to fishing – capable of generating 11.3% of the national GDP and employing approximately 1.1 million people directly, 2.5 million
including related industries.
A supply chain that connects industry, services, and territories
The strength of the Maritime Economy lies in its systemic nature.
It is not a vertical sector, but a platform that integrates industry, services, logistics, and tourism, generating value along the entire production chain.
In this context, Confindustria is the only association capable of uniting and representing the entire supply chain, connecting all the main players in the system and playing a directing role for the entire sector.
The different components of the system feed each other.
Shipbuilding supports shipping and boating, which in turn enable tourism, trade, and international connections.
Added to these are new, expanding segments, such as underwater technologies and marine renewable energy.
Furthermore, the sea exerts a significant multiplier effect on the economy: every euro generated in the core sectors triggers further effects along the production chains and connected territories.
Three levers to support growth
To meet these challenges and maximize the potential of the Maritime Economy, the report identifies three areas of intervention.
Simplify, to reduce bureaucratic obstacles and facilitate access to professions.
Innovate, to support the digital and green transition.
Train, to build skills along the entire supply chain.
Source: Confindustria
