Le startup italiane tra innovazione e ostacoli
Italian startups: between innovation and obstacles
Lorenzo Caputo
Transcript
When one talks about startups in Italy, the picture is contradictory.
On one side we have extraordinary talent and brilliant ideas.
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On the other there are bureaucracy, difficult access to capital, and little risk culture.
In recent years the number of innovative startups has nonetheless grown significantly.
The most active sectors are biotech, fintech and agritech.
Agritech in particular seems very promising for a country with such a strong agricultural tradition.
One of the structural problems is the brain drain abroad.
Many Italian researchers and engineers work for foreign companies that offer better conditions.
The government has tried to incentivise the return of talent with tax breaks.
The results are partial: some return, but many remain abroad.
There are, however, success stories that give hope.
Satispay became one of the most well-known fintechs in Europe.
There are also new technology hubs in Milan and in Turin.
The problem is that the ecosystem remains very concentrated in the North.
For innovation to truly become national, investment in the South would be needed.
The challenge is to build a system in which talent does not have to emigrate to express itself.