At a time when the domestic Internet dividend has peaked, more and more Chinese entrepreneurs and investors have begun to pay attention to "globalization". In 2021, 36Kr will continue to launch a globalization manual to explain the basic appearance, human environment, market characteristics and entrepreneurial opportunities of European countries such as Germany, France, the United Kingdom and Italy one by one. In the first three chapters, we have interpreted Germany, France and the United Kingdom in turn, and in this article, we will focus on the historic Italy.
When you think of Italy, what comes to mind? Are there too many places of interest? Is it the world-famous "luxury kingdom"? Or is it the birthplace of ancient Roman culture? Located in southern Europe, on the northern shores of the Mediterranean Sea, Italy, along with Germany, the United Kingdom and France, is known as the four largest economies in Europe and is a founding member of the European Union and NATO. It is home to Eni Petroleum, Fidelity, Unileverso San Paolo, Credit Union, National Electricity and Post Italia – six Fortune 500 companies. However, unlike countries with a large number of giant enterprises, Italy is a "kingdom of small and medium-sized enterprises", and smes occupy a very important position in the country's economic development.
In order to give readers a more comprehensive understanding of Italy, the Italian part of the Handbook of Globalization will be divided into two parts. In the first part, we will introduce Italy from the perspectives of history, humanities, education, and economic conditions, while the next part focuses on the opportunities and challenges of the Italian venture capital market.
Basic information of the country
Geography and history
The Republic of Italy (Italy) is located in southern Europe, mainly composed of the Apennine Peninsula in southern Europe, and Sicily and Sardinia in the Mediterranean Sea, with an area of about 300,000 square kilometers. Among them, Sicilia, located in the southwest of the Apennine Peninsula, is the largest island in the Mediterranean, with an area of 25,700 square kilometers and a population of about 5 million. Across the sea from Sicily, Sardegna covers an area of about 24,000 square kilometers and has a population of about 1.65 million, formerly known as the Kingdom of Sardinia.
In addition, Italy is home to two miniature states, China, San Marino and the Vatican. Among them, San Marino, full name San Marino Republic, is one of the most pocketed countries in the world, located in the eastern part of the Italian peninsula, with a land area of about 61 square kilometers, a population of about 32,000, and the official language is Italian. The "Vatican City State", located in the northwest corner of Rome, is the smallest and least populous country in the world, with an area of only 0.44 square kilometers and a permanent population of about 800 people. It is also the seat of the Holy See, and most of the 800 people are clergy.
When it comes to the history of Italy, it can be described as "flourishing" and "dividing the princes". Its brilliance lies in the fact that it is the birthplace of ancient Roman civilization. However, with the fall of the Roman Empire, Italy was divided among the "powerful and powerful", forming more than a hundred independent countries. From then on, the land continued to be fought until the rise of the Italian Revival Movement (1815-1870) in the 19th century, and the Kingdom of Sardinia began to gradually unify the north and south, establishing the Kingdom of Italy in 1861, and conquering Rome, the capital of the Papal States, in 1870 to complete the unification of Italy. With the defeat in World War II, Italy abolished the monarchy and established the Italian Republic on June 2, 1946.
Population and age
According to the World Bank's 2020 figures, Italy has a population of around 59 million, and 70% of the population lives in cities, with urbanization accounting for just under 77% of Germany and 80% of the UK and France. In addition, Italy is also a country plagued by aging. According to Data from the World Population Review for 2021, the median age in Italy is 45.5 years, second only to Germany's 47.1 years.
In order to cope with the problem of aging, Italy has formulated a series of policies, such as modifying the pension system, providing flexible job market policies and providing vocational training courses suitable for the employment of the elderly, etc. In addition, on how to improve the low fertility rate, the state has introduced a number of subsidies to encourage fertility. For example, starting in March 2022, Italy will introduce a new family birth allowance for individual households, called "Assegno Unico" (literally translated as "single allowance", which can be understood as "family allowance" or "maternity allowance").
educate
When it comes to the Italian education system, it is mainly divided into four stages, pre-school (children aged 3-6), primary education (primary school, 6-10 years old), secondary education (3 junior high school + 5 years of high school), and higher education such as junior colleges and universities. Unlike in The country, Italy pursues a 10-year compulsory education for children and adolescents between the ages of 6 and 16.
Specifically, from the age of 6 until the age of 14, Italian students can complete their education without passing an exam. From the age of 14, students need to pass the national examination to continue their education, but the education of 14- to 16-year-old students is still compulsory, and students can choose their own path of study according to their own plans.
Italy offers two different paths of study for students over the age of 14: one is high school education, which mainly offers general and vocational (technical and vocational) courses, usually 5 years. Upon completion of the high school program, students who successfully pass the final exam will receive a certificate that will enable them to pursue higher education. Another pathway is the Regional Vocational Training System (IFP), which offers 3/4 years of courses organized by accredited training institutions or high schools. At the end of the regional course, participants will receive a qualification that will enable them to study vocational courses or, under certain conditions, to take short-cycle courses at the level of higher education. Higher education in Italy, on the other hand, includes undergraduate, master's and doctoral degrees.
Economic profile
Although it ranks last among the four largest economies, Italy's overall economic strength is not weak. According to the World Bank's 2020 statistics, Italy's GDP is about 1.88 trillion yuan, ranking eighth in the world and Europe in fourth place, behind Germany, the United Kingdom and France.
The arrival of the epidemic has affected the Italian economy, and in addition to the long period of slow economic growth, it has also plagued Italy. In this regard, Prime Minister Mario Draghi pointed out that the main challenge facing the Italian economy remains achieving long-term high growth and solving its own structural problems. Draghi believes that the country's economy has begun to improve, GDP growth will exceed 6% in 2021, the job market will pick up, and Italy's debt as a share of GDP will fall.
Judging from the living standards of the Italian people, Italy also belongs to a high-income country. According to IMF data for 2021, the country's GDP per capita is $35,000. However, when it comes to the gap between rich and poor, an analysis and assessment of social per capita income released by Eurostat in early 2020 points out that Italy has the largest gap between rich and poor among Europe's most populous countries. The report shows that in 2019, the average income group of the wealthy group in Italian society was more than 6 times higher, higher than 5.07 times in Germany, 4.23 times in France, and 5.95 times higher in the United Kingdom.
In fact, compared with Germany, the United Kingdom and France, Italy's venture capital environment is still in the early stages of "tending to perfection", and it is a "small and medium-sized enterprise kingdom" with both opportunities and challenges.
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Wen | Deng Yunxi
Editor| Zhao Xiaochun