According to the Osservatorio SAIE, a survey of firms producing, distributing and providing services for the building and installation sector carried out with the Nomisma research institute, Italian construction companies are showing a moderate optimism despite the end of the PNRR, the national recovery and resilience plan whose extraordinary push concluded at the end of June. Over four firms in ten, 41%, expect to close the year with revenue growth, while nearly two thirds of the sample, 65%, consider their order book adequate.
Construction represents one of the main levers of development and competitiveness for the Italian economy, according to the observatory, with over 700.000 active firms in the country, corresponding to about 15% of the national total. The sector is currently going through a delicate phase, marked both by the end of the PNRR boost and by rising input costs. Over 80% of firms surveyed report higher energy prices, and one firm in two reports increases above 10%.
Cost pressure has also translated into a push toward innovation, with six firms in ten stating they have already rethought products and processes to improve margins and efficiency. Asked which actions they have taken to mitigate costs, firms most frequently cite revising sale prices to clients first, followed by developing new materials or products, and finally changing suppliers. Cost containment is the main factor guiding client choices for at least two firms in three, according to the observatory.