NEWS

70. Vicenza's small and medium-sized enterprises intend to win the nuclear challenge. Ditri: “We must follow the Paris example”. Carboniero: “ Opportunities for mechatronics”.

Everyone is entitled to have opinions on the nuclear energy. “But you need to talk about it without any ideological bias – warns Roberto Ditri, Vice-President of Confindustria Vicenza -. The latest environmental disaster in the Gulf of Mexico proves that you also run high hazards with traditional energy sources “.

Indeed, energy and hazards usually go hand in hand. Also, energy is closely linked to opportunities, as in France. “ Here – says Ditri – 80% of all energy consumptions are met by nuclear energy”. Some delegates of Bourgogne Developpement, of Agence Francaise pour les investissements internationaux and of Edf were invited by Confindustria Vicenza yesterday to present their business. This cooperation between France and Italy, also helped by the latest development in nuclear research and investments done by Enel, was fostered by everyone attending the meeting at Palazzo Bonin Longare. “We have already missed important opportunities – said Gianni Zonin, president of Banca Popolare di Vicenza - but we can still make up for it. Energy costs are a key factor for our enterprises' market competition and I believe that nuclear investments in Italy are following the right path”.

Even though these are tough times for our economy, Vicenza has already a chain of industries which for decades have acquired specific expertise on nuclear energy, which may represent one of Italy's strengths once our country's economy will recover.

"Overall investments amounting to approx. € 30 billion are expected in the next few years – said Massimo Carboniero, head of the Energy Club at Confindustria Vicenza – to implement a nuclear energy scheme in Italy. Namely, there will be a great demand for specific products and services from mechatronics industries, which are Vicenza's strength, with around 2,700 mechanical industries. Twenty Vicenza-based firms already set up nuclear power plants around the world and may become the catalysts for our economy's future development”.

The first nuclear power plant should be established in 2015, according to the Government's plans. Initially, four plants, which will cost approx. € 4 billion each, will be built, and later followed by an additional group of four.
"Note that there are about 450 nuclear reactors operating in the world – said Ditri – and others are about to be built. For instance, in China, where 30 new reactors were expected in 2007, others are supposed to be built in the foreseeable future, so new and huge investments are needed on a worldwide scale. We need to follow such a development and possibly take part in it, starting from France's experience and its capability of meeting a technological demand expressed by many countries around the world”.

© Confindustria Vicenza