Export Powerhouse Outlines €150 Billion Strategy to Boost Industrial Competitiveness

Italy’s export credit agency has unveiled its new 2026–2028 Strategic Plan, committing approximately €150 billion over the next three years to secure and fortify the nation’s industrial competitiveness. Named “SACE50,” the roadmap guides the institution toward its upcoming 50th anniversary bridging from 1977 to 2027 amid a rapidly evolving global landscape. The newly approved strategy signals a calculated shift toward high-impact, selective interventions designed to maximize public resources and stimulate private investment.

This massive capital will be deployed incrementally across the triennium, starting with €40 billion in 2026, rising to €51 billion in 2027, and peaking at €58 billion in 2028. Built on insights gathered directly from consultations with more than 400 domestic enterprises, the plan arrives during a period of profound global transition marked by heightened geopolitical uncertainty, a strong emphasis on economic security, reconfigured value chains, and fierce competition over energy and critical raw materials.

A Dual-Track Focus on Global Markets and Key Supply Chains

To counter these macroeconomic pressures, SACE is splitting its resource distribution across two primary strategic tracks: reinforcing international export networks and delivering his-impact domestic industrial support. Cultivating domestic industrial ecosystems is a core priority, aiming to strengthen not just direct exporters but the entire network of suppliers woven into global value chains. Under this framework, the agency has categorized its industry targets into core export clusters and strategic sectors.

The primary export networks focus deeply on automation and instrumental mechanics, infrastructure and construction, the blue economy and shipbuilding, alongside defense and aerospace. Parallel support is earmarked for strategic “Made in Italy” arenas, including digital and microelectronics, automotive, agrifood, chemicals, energy, steel and metallurgy, and textiles. Geographically, the strategy emphasizes diversification by targeting fast-growing emerging regions such as Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East and North Africa, while simultaneously deepening commercial ties within integrated cross-border value chains in advanced economies.

“In a context where the economy and geopolitics are increasingly interconnected, we are strengthening our commitment to supporting “Made in Italy” globally and contributing to Italy’s competitiveness, working in synergy with institutions, the financial sector, and all stakeholders within the national system.”
— Guglielmo Picchi (SACE’s President)

Domestic Infrastructure and the Archimede Guarantee

On the domestic front, the strategy relies heavily on the Archimede Guarantee as its primary tool for deploying state-backed guarantees to spark private investment. Total funding through this instrument is set to rise progressively to about €14 billion annually, totaling approximately €32 billion over the three-year span.

These resources will target high-yielding institutional investor portfolios and critical structural areas, prioritizing strategic and social infrastructure, industrial and digital innovation, energy and environmental transition, climate adaptation, industrial modernization, and local public services. To maximize the reach and impact of these funds, SACE will work in tandem with institutional capital and leverage synergies with European guarantee and financing instruments, specifically collaborating with the European Investment Bank and the InvestEU program, as well as coordinating with CDP and other institutional partners.

Tactical Levers and Digital Enablers

The successful execution of this ambitious plan depends on four tightly integrated operational levers and two digital enablers. First, SACE is transitioning toward an advisory service model characterized by high sectoral specialization and end-to-end consulting to guide businesses abroad, supported by a global network of 23 offices and analytical insights from its research department. Second, the agency is evolving its product range by introducing mechanisms to secure critical raw materials imports, attract foreign direct investment, and deploy the “Piattaforma Italia” to help diversify corporate funding channels outside traditional banking.

Third, the strategy maximizes group complementarity by integrating the specialized offerings of subsidiaries like SACE BT, SACE Fct, and SACE SRV into a unified corporate front. Fourth, deeper partnerships with public and financial bodies such as ICE, CDP, Simest, and Confindustria will be prioritized to unlock blended finance options. These pillars are backed by essential enablers focused on cultivating workforce talent and accelerating IT infrastructure, where targeted deployments of artificial intelligence will enhance data analysis and response times for businesses and financial intermediaries.

Financial Projections and Stability

Financially, the strategic plan outlines a robust, growth-oriented triennium. Gross accumulated premiums are expected to reach approximately €5.7 billion, reflecting an average annual growth rate of roughly 22%. Furthermore, gross financial results are on track to climb to roughly €680 million by 2028. Throughout this aggressive expansion, SACE intends to maintain strict capital integrity, keeping a projected Solvency Ratio comfortably exceeding 270% over the entire life of the plan.

_{Source: SACE Press Office}