The Internationalization and Euro-Mediterranean Integration of the Sicilian Economy

Transcription

1 1 46 th Congress of the European Regional Science Association Enlargement, Southern Europe and the Mediterranean August 30 th - September 3 rd Volos, Greece The Internationalization and Euro-Mediterranean Integration of the Sicilian Economy Luca Ruggiero Unità di Geografia Economico-Politica, Dipartimento di Sociologia, Facoltà di Scienze Politiche -Università di Catania,Catania, Italy lruggiero@unict.it

2 2 Abstract The Sicilian economy and society has been traditionally characterised by a low level of internationalization. This is particularly evident if we consider the amount of goods and services exchanged and the number of national and international investments occurred in the island, with tourism being one of the few exceptions for having registered a reasonable development of its external components. An analysis of the most important regional transport networks nodes located within and at the edge of the main urban areas of the island, would confirm this evaluation. However, in the last few years, a number of undeniable progresses have been made with developments in the field of intermodal transports, regarding as much the mode road-rail as that road-sea. The intermodal transport system seems to be particularly suitable for the region, given the significant distances that separate it from the areas with whom trade of goods is more intense. Another field of development is that of air transport whose connections have increased thanks to the emergence of a series of low cost companies. In the present paper we argue that the move towards an internationalization of the Sicilian economy and society can only be achieved through a reorganization and development of the local transport system infrastructures. In order to reach this objective a series of complex intermodal platforms, involving the main airports of the island, should be planned. It is maintained that airports will be particularly relevant in the development process of the main cities key functions. In particular, it is believed they will play a very important role in increasing and sustaining higher level activities and services including tourism. One of the main aims that has characterized the policies of development of the Region of Sicily for more than thirty years is represented by the development of a side of economic relations with the EU and with other Mediterranean and Near Eastern countries, with the aim of reanimating, in a post-fordist key, the ancient vocation of the Island, that has been for many centuries the centre of convergency of civilization and of European and Mediterranean interests. We are dealing with an objective which is not easy to achieve, but which has found in recent years undoubtfully more favourable prospectives, above all if one considers that undeniable progress has been made, to be attributed to the development of transport, with particular concern for the mixed modes of transport, as much the road-rail one as the road-sea one, that finds in Sicily particularly favourable conditions. Moreover, air transport links are multiplying, activated by the improvement of airport infrastructures and by a growing competition in which the low-cost companies participate.

3 3 An important role in this context is due to the development of info-computer technology and to the new/net/knowledge, that with its technological irregularity and thanks to the advantages of interaction on the network, allows the limits and typical rigidity of the traditional enterprises to be overcome, making new forms of organization of production possible, that offer peripheries, like Sicily, new and more ampler opportunities of development. Today, indeed, the potential change in the nature of development processes, induced by new/net/knowledge economy and by values that the networks assume in their connective function, are redesigning the hierarchy between centres and peripheries, cancelling out the old factors of agglomeration of the Fordist paradigm, highlighting new ones, among which, information and knowledge of the instruments to create it, but also the ability to manage the flow of information and technical-scientific knowledge and the high level intellectual and social capital, an efficient logistic organization, and efficient State Administration aware of local problems, a strong social cohesion, a far-sighted and enterprising managerial class. Sicily, in the sphere of these settings, that were once dominated by economic and technological factors, finds itself in front of new opportunities, that, nonetheless, in order to be taken require on the one hand rapid and efficient choices in relation to the improvement of resources of which it commands, in particular the intellectual and social capital at not very high costs, and on the other hand, a continual improvement and widening of its road and grid structures and networks at a local and global level. The difficulty of fully exploiting these opportunities is highlighted by the modest opening of the economy and Sicilian society and by its lack of external links, that can be valued at a first guess by the trade exchanges and by investments that concern abroad, but also by tourism and by national and international traffic of the main regional roads of the transport network, roads that find their primary collocation inside or in the peripheries of the largest urbanized areas of the Island. Sicily, according to data of 2003 made available from ISTAT in 2005, attributes for about 1.8% of Italian imports and 4.5% of Italian exports, although the province of Syracuse alone records an exceptional level of exchanges with abroad, thanks to the product chapter constituted by refined petroleum products, which places it among the first in Italy for the level of opening to foreign markets. The almost totality of Sicilian exports (90% about) is represented by products from the manufacturing industry, but among the few important out-flows refined petroleum products stand out, which on their own constitute about half the value of industrial exports of the Island. Net of such a component, that among other things shows a growing weight (parallel to the growth in the value or imported mineral energy, sensitive to present international tensions ), the sales abroad of industrial products see in first place chemical products, electrical and precision appliances, products of the electronics industry, means of transport and products of the food industry, sections that until a few years ago were particularly dynamic but which, except for some rare exception, have shown for a few years now results that are all but encouraging.

4 4 Trade Interchange of Sicily with Abroad By Province Year 2002 (Classification of goods by type of business, value expressed in thousands of euro) IMPORTS CT SR RG EN CL PA ME AG TR Sicily Agricultural Products, hunting and forestry Products from Fishing and fish-breeding Mineral energy and non energy Transformed and manufactured products Electricity, gas and water Products from computing, profess. And enterprise Other public service, social and personal products Goods declared as supplies on board National goods returned or rejected, various goods Total EXPORTS Agricultural products, hunting and forestry Products from fishing and fish-breeding Mineral energy and non-energy Transformed and manufactured products Electricity, gas and water Products from computing, profess. and enterprise Other public services, social and personal products Goods declared as supplies on board National goods returned or rejected, various goods Total Source : ISTAT (Our processing) Not less important than the lack of international opening of the regional economy and its strong structural restrictions are foreign investments, direct and coming from Sicily, that even if they have made some progress in recent years both are way below the 1% of those of Italian averages. Direct Foreign Investments in income and expenditure from the provinces of Sicily Years (thousands of Euro) Provinces Trapani Palermo Messina Agrigento Caltanissetta Enna Catania Ragusa Siracusa Sicily ITALY Income expenditure income expenditure income expenditure income expenditure Source: Unioncamere Report 2005 Data processing Italian Exchange Office A more comforting signal on the opening of the Sicilian economy comes from the incidence of the direct flow of tourists in Sicily on a total of the national ones (about 5% of arrivals and 4% of total presences and 4.5% and 3.9% for the foreign component) that records some improvement in recent years. A behavioural trend that is linked back to a potential enrichment of the tourist offer, less tied

5 5 to traditional sea-side tourism and increasingly tied to the offer of art, culture, history, landscapes etc. The availability of a rich historical-cultural patrimony and its opportune promotion, especially by the Region, contributes in fact to a gradual enrichment of the offer, with positive effects above all towards foreign tourism. On the other hand, above all for what concerns the foreign component, Sicily remains among the first tourist destinations of Southern Italy, overtaken only by Campania with which it divides the leadership for tourism in the South of the country. Indeed, tourism in the cities of historical and artistic interest, and in particular foreign tourism, has gained ground in comparison to sea-side tourism. Presently, among the most popular destinations, both as far as the Italian component is concerned,as well as the foreign one, the territories of Palermo/Monreale and Catania/Acicastello are identified, but Agrigento, Giardini, Naxos, Taormina and Syracuse also have an important tourist business. To the improvement of tourism also the growing attention to the environment and landscape, parks and nature reserves and other protected areas can be linked, as well as literary parks. Without considering that the Region from 2004 has promoted an integrated policy that keeps in mind the development of marine tourism and tourist ports as crucial points in the improvement of the hinterland. Tourist Movement registered by APT and the main Sicilian AAST in Hotel Accommodation Non-hotel Accommodation Average A.P.T. I T A L I A N FOREIGNERS I T A L I A N FOREIGNERS stay and A.A.S.T. Arrivals Presen. Arrivals Presen. Arrivals Presen. Arrivals Presen. Agrigento ,41 Caltanissetta ,56 Catania ,51 Acireale* ,84 Catania/Acicst.* ,16 Enna ,06 Messina ,95 Giardini Naxos* ,14 Isole Eolie* ,22 Taormina* ,81 Palermo ,85 Palermo/Monr.* ,07 Ragusa ,42 Siracusa ,05 Siracusa* ,58 Trapani ,39 SICILY ,14 *Aziende Autonome di Soggiorno e Turismo Source: our data processing from data supplied by the Regional Committee for Tourism.Fonte: Other interesting elements of assessment of opening and development of the economy and of Sicilian society come from the analysis of the traffic of the main roads of transport, which have grown parallel to the urban functions of the largest cities. In such a context the weakness of the extra-regional road and rail links stands out clearly, given that the lack of infrastructures in the South of Italy can be added to the shortages of the Island, and above all the railways as well as the length of time to cross the Straits. The lack of rail transport with the continent, the modest development of the port infrastructures, but even more so the lack of integration of the different types of transport, besides that of the firms capable of coordinating and controlling the mixed mode of transport flows, has left large gaps in

6 6 the road transport, all but convenient for medium and long distances, both as far as goods are concerned as well as for passengers. But the movement of passenger in sea transport is totally marginal, notwithstanding the creation of new lines with fast ships. Indeed, the lengthy voyages of sea transport exclude the use linked to movement for business and for work, which is directed almost exclusively to air transport. The latter is a type of transport which is motivated by the lack of a railway system too. Also in goods transport over medium and long distances the conditions of mode imbalance emerge clearly if we consider that in the exchanges with other Italian regions and with foreign countries, excluding petroleum products, road transport accounts for a quota of traffic in over 12% in tons and rail transport a little over 2%, to that of combined road-rail transport a little less than 15 and that of Ro/Ro a little under 10%. These certainly aren t positive data if we consider that a conspicuous part of these goods travel distances of over 1,000 km. journeys which require, for reasons of energy consumption and environmental impact, the use of rail modes or of sea transport, perhaps in synergy with road transport, and thus a development of the mixed mode of transport of the Sea Motorways foreseen in the national and regional plans of transport as well as by the priority projects of the European Union(Region of Sicily 2004.). Imports and Exports in Sicily for Means of Transport and for category of goods. Year 2004(in tons). Means of transport Importaz. Esportaz. Totali %* %** Sea transport ,73 85,44 Rail transport ,20 2,31 Road transport ,06 12,18 Air transport ,01 0,07 Total ,00 100,00 Category of goods (TARIC)*** Agricultural products and live animals ,15 13,15 Foodstuffs and Fodder ,52 5,91 Solid mineral fuels ,05 0,60 Petroleum products ,27 - Minerals and waste for metallurgy ,05 0,52 Metal work products ,09 12,45 Raw or manufactured Min and building materials ,41 27,63 Fertilizers ,27 3,09 Chemical products ,87 21,43 Machinery, vehicles, luxury and specialized trans ,33 15,21 Total ,00 100,00 *Including petroleum products **Excluding petroleum products ***Classification of the Community s Integrated Tariff (among agricultural products vegetables, cereals, wine and olive growing products, lentils, zoo-technical and timber predominate). Source: ISTAT Our processing The mixed mode transport, as much road-rail as road-sea transport finds on the Island particularly favourable conditions for growth, for the relevant distances that separate it from the areas with which its interchange of goods is most intense. This is confirmed by the fact that the mixed mode transport is the only one to have recorded in recent years substantial development, even with the numerous organizational and infrastructural limits that characterise it, and its sea routes and railways are strengthening their potential and promise, in expectation, to extend their functions in the sphere of complex logistic platforms, in planning in the areas of gravitation of the main urban areas.

7 7 Presently in Sicily there are 7 railway terminus (Bicocca-CT, Cannizzaro-CT, Brancaccio PA, Termini Imerese PA, Gela CL, Milazzo-ME, S.Cecilia - ME, Priolo SR) two of which, Bicocca (CT) and Termini Imerese (PA) those of the greatest traffic levels, according to the national and regional Plans of transport, should give rise to Inter ports, for which executive projects have already been drawn up. The Region, moreover, has identified the localities where these structures of an intermediate level can be realized, which should operate in synergy with the mxed mode ones, as car-ports (in the Plan of car-port infrastructures in Sicily seven car-port structures are foreseen in the municipalities of Catania, Vittoria, Termini Imerese, Canicattì, Trapani, Syracuse and Milazzo). The localization of car-ports in Sicily and their links with other infrastructures of transport.

8 8 The infrastructures related to road-sea mixed mode transport are also inadequate in the development of goods traffic in Sicily, although the routes from Palermo and Catania have recorded a real explosion of traffic Ro/Ro, that recently has well overtaken all the other types of harbour traffic. In this sector, nonetheless, various projects are being prepared with short and medium limits, which thanks to stimulation from the Region, the State and the EU, reserved to the Sea Motorways and to the Marco Polo I and II projects, should radically change the present situation. The Short Sea Shipping Routes related to the combined road-sea transportation active in 2005 in Sicily.

9 9 Movimento delle merci nel porto di Catania per tipologie. Anni 2003/2004 (migliaia di tonn.) Rinfuse liquide Rinfuse solide Contenitori RO-RO Altro Fonte: Autorità portuale di Catania (nostre elaborazioni) Movimento delle merci nel porto di Palermo per tipologie. Anni 2003/2004 (migliaia di tonn.) Rinfuse liquide Rinfuse solide Contenitori RO-RO Altro Fonte: Autorità portuale di Palermo (nostre elaborazioni) Considering the noticeable distances of the Island from the national central and European areas and the weakness of land and sea transport of goods, such as passengers, the decisive role of the Sicilian airports cearly stands out, and above all the largest ones, from the point of view of their opening of the economy and the society of the Island towards Europe and the Mediterranean, with particular concern for the business and services of a higher level, besides naturally tourism. In particular, the airport stop-offs of Catania and Palermo, have strengthened their strategic value over the last ten years, carrying out a decisive role in the process of decentralization, of innovation and of diffusion of advanced services, that require a significant mobility of people, goods and information. The airport of Catania is the most dynamic one and for the number of passengers it is among the first in Italy, preceded only by those of Rome, Milan and Venice, thanks to a vast area of gravitation that extends to the provinces of Catania, Syracuse, Messina Enna, Ragusa and Caltinissetta, including some of the richest and most densely populated areas of Sicily. The air traffic from Punta Raisi is not negligible either, coming only after those of Catania and Naples for passengers in the South.

10 10 CATANIA Fontanarossa Commercial traffic (arrivals + departures) Year Movement (Number) Variation prev.year (%) Passengers (numero) Variation prev.year (%) Freight (Tons) Variation prev.year (%) , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,71 Source : Ministry for Infrastructures, Transport and Air transport. (our processing) PALERMO Punta Raisi Commercial traffic (arrivals + departures) Year Movement (Number) Variation prev.year (%) Passengers (numero) Variation prev.year (%) Freight (Tons) Variation prev.year (%) , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,20 Source : Ministry for Infrastructures, Transport and Air transport. (our processing) The role of the airport of Trapani is, however, marginal as well as the new stop off being built in Comiso, as are those of the lesser islands, for which the Region foresees, in future expectations, the integration with the airports of Palermo and Catania in systems coordinated by functions. relevant Goods trafficis less relevant, although the stop-off at the airport of Catania has recorded a significant development, being situated in the Etna Valley, one of the areas of major development of industrial and tertiary hi-tech Sicilian business, among which electronics, pharmaceuticals and the biotechnology.the air cargo of Catania, that since 2001 has had customs warehouses that allow for direct clearance through customs at the airport of goods that come from outside the European Community, according to projects being completed now, should become, a segment of the whole logistic chain of the innovative and technologically advanced enterprises. In fact, the type of goods of high added value and of significant innovative content produced in this area, are very suitable for

11 11 transport via air. The materials used by ST Microelectronics and some of its exported products and raw materials as well as products from the local pharmaceutical industry are in fact the main freight loaded and unloaded at the stop-off of Fontanarossa, besides craft products and fish coming from African countries, (Senegal and Tunisia).

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