Six Italian companies among the most competitive in Europe
Last Thursday evening in Milan, 6 Italian companies received awards as part of an initiative promoted by the Financial Times and by strategy consultants Roland Berger Italy to find the most competitive European companies.
The companies operate in very different sectors ranging from hi-tech to jewelry and finance: Bulgari, Fastweb, Finmeccanica, Luxottica, Poste Vita and Unicredit.
There were four 'Best of European business' categories: innovation, growth, value generation, ability to take up opportunities offered by Europe. In some categories size was also taken into consideration and was the reason for four categories and six winners.
Chosen by a jury composed of exponents of the business, academic and publishing worlds, the winning Italian companies demonstrated their excellence in each of the four categories. The selection process and the presentation of the awards involved seven juries in seven European countries: Italy, France, Great Britain, Germany, Portugal, Spain, Poland. The companies from each country (in the industrial, banking and insurance sectors) were analyzed by Roland Berger Consultants which prepared a classification of the most competitive companies in compliance with specific performance criteria. The national jury then selected the winners from a short list put forward by the consultants.
Poste Vita, the Italian Postal Service's insurance company and one of the big names on the market, received the growth award together with Fastweb, the company whose challenge is the broadband and the supply of Internet integrated services (voice, data and video). Stepping on the podium for value generation was Luxottica, the company from Agordo (Belluno) and world eyewear leader, and jeweler Bulgari: both are family businesses, even though they are listed on the stock exchange. Innovation went to the Finmeccanica group, leader in defense and aerospace applications, while Unicredit was awarded for its European expansion strategy.
(Source: Il Sole 24 Ore)
