With its 950,000 inhabitants, the area of Bologna boasts a high standard of living, a specialised and markedly international production system, qualified human resources and a close-nit and vibrant community.
Bologna has the lowest unemployment rate in Italy (2.5%) and one of the highest pro-capite GDPs in Europe (€ 35.618).
Bologna’s production system has the following characteristics:
- over 88,000 businesses (including 12,000 manufacturing companies), mostly small- to medium-sized.
- industrial groups that are world leaders in their respective fields and a particularly strong and well-established cooperativesector.
- a combination of ‘traditional’ (packaging, motor, electronics, fashion, agro-food) and ‘emerging’sectors (logistics, health and medical, creative, value-added services).
- a manufacturing sector dedicated to innovation and exporting supported by a wide network of specialised local suppliers, who pride themselves on customising their products and offering efficient after-sales services.
- a services sector which is expanding rapidly, especially in the field of value-added services, producing over 68% of the province’s added value.
- a high business-per-inhabitant ratio of 10 to 1 (above the national average).
- over the last ten years, the number of businesses has grown by 83% and the number of employees by 33%.
An open economy:
- exports have continued to grow over the last ten years, reaching 11 billion euros in 2007.
- over 200 foreign businesses employing more than 21,000 people for a turnover of around 6 billion euros (currently in Bologna: Prologis, Audi AG, Texas Pacific Group, LVMH, Nike, Yamaha, Honda, TNT Logistics).
- supported by internationally important multi-service facilities (Freight Village, Bologna Fair, Centergross, CAAB).
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