Simest, a company of the CDP Group that since 1991 has supported the growth of Italian companies through the internationalisation of their activities, has presented the Strategic Plan 2023-2025 "Business Impact. Yes, a pact for growth".
The Plan strengthens Simest’s role in supporting the internationalisation of Italian companies through 4 pillars:
- A sustainable, quality growth
- Digitisation and operational efficiency
- Enhancement of People and Corporate Culture
- Impact on the territory and ESG
A SUSTAINABLE, QUALITY GROWTH
In the three-year period 2023-2025 Simest intends to strengthen its mission, with an increase in resources committed from the current 1.7 billion to 6.8 billion in 2025, for a total commitment of 18.5 billion euros in the three-year period; +20% compared to the previous three-years. The evolution will be driven by innovation, efficiency, and systemic cooperation:
- Participatory investment and support for innovative startups/SMEs: the Plan provides for a qualitative growth of participatory loans, focusing on investments with impact on the territory as well as simplifications in the relationship with partner companies, in order to reduce the time of finalisation of operations. Moreover, through the recent agreement signed with CDP Venture Capital Sgr, the Venture Capital Fund (which is managed by Simest in agreement with the Maeci) will support with 200 million also the internationalisation processes of start-ups and innovative SMEs
- Public funds managed in agreement with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation: the focus is on expanding the scope of activities of subsidised loans, supporting investments dedicated to the key issues of sustainability, digitisation and support for production chains. It is also provided the development of ad hoc measures in favour of companies with interests directed to strategic markets for Made in Italy, with the launch of specific measures towards the Western Balkans. With regard to export credit support measures, the close proximity in support of Italian companies active in strategic sectors at the international level is renewed, thus granting more tools in favour of small and medium-sized enterprises
- Territorial protection. Simest will reinforce its commercial activity through cooperation with the CDP Group and the strengthening of the Network on the territory, with the confirmation of its proximity to Southern companies. In addition, it is planned to improve cooperation with the banking system, in order to further expand the information and formation of Simest policies towards more internationally oriented companies, paying particular attention to small and medium-sized enterprises for the dissemination of public funds.
- Strategic Consulting: Simest will expand its offer by activating dedicated strategic consulting services in coordination with the institutional system, to facilitate the entry and consolidation of Italian companies on foreign strategic markets, facilitating access to the local network. Moreover, it will favour the encounter of the national companies with the foreign ones through CDP’s “Business Matching” platform.
DIGITISATION AND OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCY
Over the three-year period, Simest will implement a deep digital transformation: this process is aimed at strengthening and maximising the speed of customer service, working towards a better business experience thanks to the simplification of processes. All this will be supported by significant digital investments over the Plan period: these will be tripled compared to the previous three years.
To improve the level of customer service, a process of strengthening the workforce has also been started, with the gradual inclusion of new skills and competences in the field of ESG, technological innovation and consulting service, which will bring an overall increase of the workforce planned to be around 15%.
ENHANCING THE VALUE OF PEOPLE AND CORPORATE CULTURE
Simest cares about the well-being and growth of its people: a Cultural Regeneration Programme has been launched to develop a co-built, transversal and distinctive Culture, integrated into the Group’s principles, enhancing inclusion and diversity (e.g. path for gender equality and salary with a target of at least 40% of women in managerial positions) as well as the life-work balance (e.g. right to disconnection) strengthening the company welfare (10% of the budget allocated to welfare and initiatives for the well-being of its people). There will be a strong focus on people’s growth paths, thanks to a reinforcement of professional skills in the ESG field. Internal and external initiatives will convey the new set of values, including an innovative program of brand diffusion, involving young employees as ambassadors.
IMPACT ON THE TERRITORY AND ESG
The Strategic Plan aims to sign a Pact with Italian companies, in order to promote their investments in economic, environmental and social sustainability. A strong commitment is therefore expected by developing ESG-oriented tools, measuring the ex-post impact on the territory of 4 of the 10 scopes of intervention defined by CDP: Energy Transition, Digitisation, Technological Innovation, Support to strategic supply chains. At company level, Simest will adopt as well internal sustainability initiatives, including specific actions that will prove an increasing attention to the environment (e.g. incentives to green mobility) and greater support for employees and their families on priority themes (e.g. home mortgage and loans granted by the company).