Italian regions unveil investment plans and new deindustrialisation fund to boost manufacturing

The Confindustria Emilia‑Romagna survey presented in Bologna shows that 85.7% of local firms intend to invest in 2026, allocating a total of €611 million – an 11% decline from the previous year. Investment is concentrated on machinery and equipment (71.9%), software and IT (64.2%) and staff training (63.2%), with digitalisation projects rising to 33.4%. Companies cite geopolitical uncertainty, bureaucracy, demand volatility and labour shortages as the main obstacles. New president Riccardo Fava called for a “bureaucratic shock”, urging a 30% reduction in regional authorization times for environmental, energy, urban‑planning and building permits.

Separately, the government‑backed Fondo di contrasto alla deindustrializzazione 2026 allocates €120 million to support manufacturing firms in the Lazio and Marche industrial consortia. Eligible enterprises can receive up to €300 000 in non‑repayable grants for modernisation, digitalisation, sustainability and the creation of new production units. Applications are open from 28 September to 28 November 2026, following a successful first edition that funded 872 firms. The programme is managed by Invitalia under the Department for Cohesion Policies of the Prime Minister’s Office.