We are used to talking about companies, but behind them there are people: the entrepreneurs. Who are a very special part of the human capital of any economy. Putting the emphasis on them has deep implications for policy-making, both by government and industrial associations such as BDI and Confindustria, and for the entrepreneurs themselves.

1. Luca Paolazzi – Director, Confindustria Economic Research Department
1
The Challenges
of the new Entrepreneurship.
Luca Paolazzi
Director, Confindustria Economic Research Department
1

2. Luca Paolazzi – Director, Confindustria Economic Research Department
2
In the last couple of decades
the competitiveness landscape
has changed dramatically.
Globalization (with the emergence of new
leading countries in the industrial scene), ICT
and other enabling technologies and the Big
Crisis have reshaped business models and set
the competitive bar at radically higher level,
asking for a cultural leap to the bulk of SMEs
and, specifically, their owners and runners.

3. Luca Paolazzi – Director, Confindustria Economic Research Department
3
We are used to talking about companies,
but behind them there are people:
the entrepreneurs. Who are a very special part
of the human capital of any economy.
Putting the emphasis on them has deep
implications for policy-making, both by
government and industrial associations
such as BDI and Confindustria,
and for the entrepreneurs themselves.

4. Luca Paolazzi – Director, Confindustria Economic Research Department
4
Starting from these considerations,
Confindustria Research Department has made
in 2016 a wide and unique study on
The Entrepeneurs.

5. Luca Paolazzi – Director, Confindustria Economic Research Department
5
To make a long, but quite interesting,
story short, the main conclusions
are the following:
• a fall in entrepreneurship
• a widening of firm performances
• a new set of priorities in running a company
• a range of policy initiatives to revitalize
entrepreneurship.
Some evidence about the first three points,
and just few hints about policies.

6. Luca Paolazzi – Director, Confindustria Economic Research Department
6
The propensity to entrepreneurshipis falling
People that would like to be self-employed. % of answers.
Source: CSC on Eurobarometer survey.
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
Italy France EU-28 Spain UK Germany
2009 2012

7. Luca Paolazzi – Director, Confindustria Economic Research Department
7
The gap of performances is widening
Productivity, % ratio between upper and lower centiles.
Source: CSC on Bureau van Dijk.
200,0
210,0
220,0
230,0
240,0
250,0
260,0
270,0
Italy Germany Spain France
2007 2014

8. Luca Paolazzi – Director, Confindustria Economic Research Department
8
The new competition normal ask
the entrepeneurs…
% of answers.
Source: Community Media Research for CSC.
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
… to exploit new business opportunities
… tighter local relationship
…more innovative companies
…a new way to run business
… a culturalleap

9. Luca Paolazzi – Director, Confindustria Economic Research Department
9
The ranking of entrepeneurs’ capabilities
has changed…
% of answers.
Source: Community Media Research for CSC.
0 10 20 30 40
To master and command
To make decisions in lonliness
To take risks
To valorize employees
To work in team
To innovate
After the 2008
Before the 2008

10. Luca Paolazzi – Director, Confindustria Economic Research Department
10
… and the same is true for business functions
% of answers.
Soruce: Community Media Research for CSC.
0 10 20 30 40
To reinforceadministration
To improvesuppliers/sellers relationship
To step up communication and brand
To strengthen tradedepartment
To focuson productsand processes
To service clients
After the 2008
Before the 2008

11. Luca Paolazzi – Director, Confindustria Economic Research Department
11
Some hints about policies by:
Government: education&training; finance;
real services for start-ups; gender;
qualified immigration.
Association: story-telling; training;
communication; education; involvement
of women, startuppers, immigrants.
Entrepreneurs themselves:
leadership, governance, disclosure.

12. Luca Paolazzi – Director, Confindustria Economic Research Department
12
There is plenty of work to do to improve
and enrich the most scarce of resources:
Entrepreneurship.