The second Africa–Italy Summit, held in Addis Ababa on 13–14 February, offered an opportunity to celebrate the first accomplishments of the Mattei Plan and to relaunch its ambitions. A few weeks earlier, the EU’s signing of what was described as the “largest trade deal” with India was widely welcomed in Italy as a confirmation of Rome’s outward-looking posture.
Italy’s renewed internationalization drive should be read within a broader geopolitical recalibration. Africa and India are not merely export destinations, but central arenas in a global competition over supply chains, energy corridors, digital infrastructure, and critical raw materials. The Mattei Plan intersects with the EU’s Global Gateway strategy and unfolds amid efforts by European actors to de-risk from dependence on China while offering credible alternatives to the Belt and Road Initiative. In this framework, Rome’s activism signals an attempt to reposition Italy not as a peripheral participant in European external economic policy, but as a co-architect of a more assertive European presence in high-growth markets. Internationalization thus becomes both an economic necessity and a strategic instrument.
Italy’s comparative advantages also align differently across target regions. In West Africa, Italian expertise in energy infrastructure, agri-tech, water management, and mid-scale manufacturing equipment responds directly to pressing needs in electrification, food processing, and urban services. Engineering groups, energy contractors, and specialized machinery producers are particularly well-positioned in markets seeking modular and scalable solutions rather than mega-projects alone. In East Africa, where logistics corridors, port development, renewable energy, and rapid urbanization are advancing, Italian strengths in infrastructure engineering, transport systems, green technologies, and construction materials could find natural demand, especially when embedded within multilaterally financed projects. India, by contrast, offers opportunities less in basic infrastructure and more in advanced manufacturing integration: precision machinery, industrial automation, aerospace components, pharmaceutical supply chains, and high-end agri-processing equipment align closely with India’s push for industrial upgrading under its “Make in India” framework. Across all three regions, Italy’s SME-driven flexibility, particularly in customized machinery, sustainable production technologies, and quality-driven manufacturing , represents a comparative advantage in markets increasingly seeking diversification beyond dominant global suppliers.
Aside from political declarations, Italian institutions have indeed begun to put resources behind their rhetoric. SIMEST, the public financial mechanism supporting the internationalization of Italian companies, has expanded its credit support schemes for SMEs, while Cassa Depositi e Prestiti and other public actors have strengthened financial instruments aimed at facilitating entry into high-growth markets. Dedicated forums, roadshows, and sectoral initiatives are proliferating, signaling a concrete institutional effort to accompany Italian firms abroad.
Yet, despite these documented efforts and improved technical mechanisms, many SMEs continue to lament a persistent information gap. While financial tools and formal procedures are increasingly accessible, contextual knowledge is still hard to obtain. Italian SMEs often lack a granular understanding of specific country realities: regulatory environments, informal market dynamics, local business cultures, political risk profiles, and the identification of reliable counterparts. In this sense, the importance of the filiera (value chain) should be emphasized. The Italian production system has traditionally relied on chain ecosystems rather than isolated champions. Leveraging the filiera logic abroad, through coordinated clusters of firms, lead contractors, financial actors and institutional support, could mitigate individual risk and enhance credibility in foreign markets.
Importantly, the filiera need not be exclusively Italian. There is significant potential in building hybrid European value-chain platforms. Other European investors often have deeper historical, commercial, and financial ties in parts of Africa and India. Supporting Italian companies within broader European consortia could generate a double dividend: Italian firms would gain access to established networks, risk-sharing mechanisms, and local intelligence, while European partners would benefit from Italy’s strong manufacturing base and export-oriented SME fabric.
Italian firms clearly have an appetite for exports and external expansion. However, many lack the managerial competencies, market-entry expertise, and long-term relational channels required to establish a stable presence in complex environments. At the same time, Italy’s profile in several African and South Asian contexts is often perceived as less burdened by heavy colonial legacies compared to some other European powers. This relatively lighter historical footprint can translate into reputational advantages, facilitating trust-building and commercial dialogue.
Crucially, however, this should not be understood as a call for Italy to shoulder the strategic legwork alone. Italian institutions have already moved well beyond their traditional posture in mobilizing financial and diplomatic capital. The opportunity now lies with international and European investors to recognize the platform being constructed and to engage proactively, leveraging Italy’s industrial base as a complementary anchor within broader cross-border consortia. Structured sector platforms in energy, agritech, infrastructure and digital services can combine Italian manufacturing depth with broader European capital and established regional networks. Shared country desks, joint due diligence structures and co-investment vehicles tied to specific value chains would distribute risk and concentrate expertise. External partners can now leverage that base, adding scale, capital strength and long-standing market presence to build competitive cross-border consortia.
If properly structured, therefore, a Europeanized filiera approach could combine complementary strengths: Italian industrial dynamism, broader European financial depth, and diversified historical relationships. The challenge for Italian institutions in 2026 is not to further expand diplomatic activism, but to consolidate the enabling framework they have already put in place. The greater test now concerns whether European and international investors are prepared to step into this architecture, recognizing that Italy has created an entry platform rather than seeking to dominate the field alone. In a fragmented global economy, competitive positioning will depend less on national solo efforts and more on the ability to build interoperable industrial ecosystems. Italy has signaled its readiness; the next move belongs to those willing to co-invest in its outward turn.
