Despite lagging behind in key socio-economic metrics such as international openness, investments, employment gaps, and infrastructure deficits, Sicily demonstrates considerable dynamism post-COVID. Export has been a cornerstone of this success, propelling the region to the second position in Italy for growth rate during the 2019-2022 period (+77.0% compared to the national average of +29.3%). This growth has been accompanied by an acceleration in investments, with Sicily surpassing the national average by 2.2 percentage points, witnessing an overall increase of +13.4% between 2019 and 2021. These statistics emerged during a roadshow event in Catania, part of the 2024 Verso Sud international platform by The European House – Ambrosetti (TEHA). The reduction in NEET (youth not in employment, education, or training) numbers also marks a positive trend. Sicily has effectively implemented policies to promote youth inclusion, ranking third in Italy for reducing the incidence of NEET (-5.6 percentage points compared to the national average of -3.1 p.p.) during the 2019-2022 period. Moreover, Sicily has seen an increase in employment rates, rising by +1.4 percentage points compared to +1.1 nationally in the biennium of 2019-2022.
Ranked as the third youngest region in Italy, Sicily boasts a robust university network, witnessing a 1.1% increase in enrollment compared to the pre-COVID period, contrasting sharply with the decline seen in other Southern universities (-6.5%). Additionally, Sicilian universities have the opportunity to harness potential contributions from talent flows in the Mediterranean basin, currently underutilized by Italy. Sicily has initiated various projects, including "Study in Sicily," aimed at bridging Sicilian and Mediterranean universities. To date, "Study in Sicily" has involved 550 students in inbound and outbound exchanges, showcasing the effectiveness of the model, especially considering the growing interest among young students in sustainable development models in the Euro-Mediterranean region. Furthermore, Sicily must focus on its maritime economy. It ranks third for the proportion of companies in the regional economy (6% compared to Italy's 3.8%), first for solid bulk handling, and second for Ro-Ro goods. With its considerable potential in offshore wind energy and wave energy, Sicily stands in a position of significant potential, especially in the context of the energy transition and environmental transformation underway.
Source: https://focusicilia.it/export-della-sicilia-crescita-record-tra-il-2019-e-il-2022-77-i-dati-di-teha/
