The regional model has overcome crises, but manufacturing remains the main weapon. Guido Caselli, vice president of Unioncamere Emilia-Romagna, highlighted the need to strengthen the links between industrial strength and society to ensure better living conditions. 'The Emilian-Romagnan system is based on two pillars: the ability to turn enterprises into a system leader and established local chains, and the ability to transform economic growth into widespread and cohesive social benefits.' The figures tell a solid economy but struggle to translate wealth into social benefits. Real wages have decreased by 5%, while profits have increased by 12%.

This gap is exacerbated by rising inflation, reaching 4% in September last year. The geographical disparity is clear: the GDP of Via Emilia has grown by 6.7%, against only 0.2% in the plain and 0.7% on the Appennino. Even the per capita income shows significant differences: 27,495 euros along Via Emilia, against 24,805 in the plain and 24,292 on the Appennino.

The risk is that economic growth will not translate into improvements in living conditions. For Caselli, it is precisely this the great vulnerability to fill: bringing development and widespread benefits through policies that facilitate access to public services and infrastructure. The crisis manifests itself also in social division: population growth has been 4.5% over the past ten years, while the plain and the Appennino have registered decreases of 0.9% and 0.7% respectively.

Manufacturing remains the driving force of the economy, but the important thing is to transform it into widespread and cohesive social benefits. 'The Emilian-Romagnan system is based on two pillars: the ability to turn enterprises into a system leader and established local chains, and the ability to transform economic growth into widespread and cohesive social benefits.' Economic growth should not be deferred to the future, but should translate immediate social benefits. 'Here, Caselli calls out the 'two red threads' of the Emilian-Romagnan development model: 'The first is the ability of territories to transform a multitude of enterprises into a system', through enterprises leaders and established local chains. 'The second is the ability to transform economic growth into widespread and cohesive social benefits'. Two links that for decades have made the fortune of the regional model, but that today must be re-anchored on new foundations.