It averaged annual growth of just 0.2 per cent between 1995 and 2007, roughly a quarter of the rate estimated for France and Germany; and in recent years it has recouped only a small part of the substantial decline experienced during the crisis.
The gap with the other countries is particularly wide for small firms (with fewer than 20 employees), which account for 55 per cent of all workers in industry and in non-financial private services. To avoid negative effects on the living standards of Italians, we must bridge this gap and take part in the ongoing digital revolution.