The “Focus Territori” identifies 5 areas of excellence in the region, which could become a springboard for the post-Covid recovery if they are properly exploited.
In 2020, Tuscany emerged as an economy "in transition", working to revise its economic model after the 2008-2009 financial crisis. The challenge for the relaunch depends on the ability to support and promote the qualitative leap that the production system needs to bridge the innovation gap that has been highlighted by the Covid crisis.
In this respect, the Tuscan economy can leverage some niche sectors which have a relatively limited weight on the regional production system but show potential development paths that are consistent with the mega-trends taking place at a global level.
The links between these regional areas of excellence, that have been identified in this analysis, are a high degree of innovation and an increasing focus on sustainability. These factors make these sectors ideal candidates to contribute to a relaunch strategy in the region. The five areas examined are: (i) the textile sector; (ii) the wine sector; (iii) the pharmaceutical sector; (iv) the automotive components sector; (v) geothermal power generation.
In order for these sectors to fully realise their potential, it is essential that the entire regional system contributes to creating the necessary conditions to harness the opportunities for economic growth, and respond to the Covid crisis by promoting: consolidation of the entrepreneurial fabric; support for an innovation ecosystem; improvement of the education system; effective solutions for infrastructure, physical and digital issues.
To achieve this, it would be strategic to channel the European resources for post-pandemic reconstruction into a coherent regional development project. This should leverage the competitive advantages that are unique to the Tuscan region and align them with the priorities identified in the Next Generation EU.