The Leonardo Committee annual forum has just come to an end for its 14th edition in Rome. As every year, this event fosters relevant thoughts and evaluations on the current internationalization of Made in Italy and the further developments on the market Italian companies might benefit from.

The protagonists of the annual meeting belonged to both the institutional world, such as the vice-minister for the Economic Development Carlo Calenda, and to the entrepreneurial one, such as Licia Mattioli from Confindustria and Francesco Pugliese from Conad.

A round table was also held having as main theme the "great distribution and e-commerce in France, Germany, UK and Spain" in order to give Italian entrepreneurs a complete panorama of the business opportunities in these markets.

As stressed by Luisa Todini, Leonardo Committee President, exports represent the catalyst of Italian economic recovery. "Made in Italy is very appreciated abroad and it is essential to be present on the distribution channels that matter", Mrs Todini added also pointing out how e-commerce of Italian products is growing fast.

Carlo Calenda, speaking on behalf of the government, has highlighted the fact that "800 million consumers are expected to enter the global market, mostly looking for quality products". It stands as a great opportunity for a further expansion of Made in Italy, whose quality is well known around the world. Moreover, Mr Calenda has expressed the need to foster the access to small and medium companies - linchpin of Italian national economy - within the big distribution.

Still, Italy needs to be receptive to the actual trends coming from the market, such as the greater use of technology, virtual purchase and consumers more attentive to quality.

Finally, Italy seems to have a lot of new sales opportunities both in the "non food" and "food" sector. With regard to the former, the focus is on expensive products to be commercialized through organized distribution. With regard to the latter, food products are mostly sold through big supermarkets but also through fairs and local events, whose frequency and effectiveness can be certainly improved to attract a broader public.

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