While there is much talk of high technology and multinationals, there is a quieter but equally vital engine that continues to drive the Sardinian economy: that of craftsmanship .
A sector that, with its 34 thousand companies, generates 2.5 billion euros of added value, or 7.8% of the entire regional economy.
This is according to the latest analysis by the Research Office of Confartigianato Sardegna, elaborated on data from the Centro Studi Tagliacarne. Numbers that place the Island in eighth place among the Italian regions, with a performance higher than the national average, which stands at 6.6%.
"We are facing a sector that is fundamental for Sardinia - comments Giacomo Meloni, president of Confartigianato Sardegna - which however operates in difficult conditions, between infrastructural deficiencies and poor innovation. This is where we must intervene, investing in training and technology to increase the value of our companies and the quality of work".
The main driving force behind Sardinian craftsmanship is construction , which alone is worth 869 million euros, equal to 34.8% of the total craftsmanship. A series of aggregate sectors follow (472 million) and transport, with 294 million. There is no lack of important contributions from personal services (212 million), food (157), commerce (142) and catering (118).
The most “artisanal” province in Sardinia is Sassari-Gallura, which with 870 million euros leads the regional ranking and ranks 31st in Italy. Here, once again, construction reigns supreme. Followed by Cagliari (584 million), South Sardinia (448), Nuoro (364) and Oristano (230). In all provinces, construction is confirmed as the most productive sector.
A potential still untapped
Despite the importance of the numbers, Meloni emphasizes that much more could be done : «Sardinian companies, often isolated and with little propensity for innovation, produce less than similar companies in other regions. But the potential is there: it just needs to be put in a position to express itself».
The recipe? Innovation, digitalization, training and synergies between sectors. "Investing in knowledge - he concludes - would expand the reference markets and create new growth opportunities, not only for artisans but for the entire regional economic system".