How to invest on a developing territory: SAPA, from Italy to Germany

Mariangela Affinita with the Members of Unicredit Local Council to support industrialization in the South

Today I’m not going to tell you a story or an anecdote. I would like to share with you something I’ve dedicated myself to in recent times, related to something very peculiar regarding our job: our link to the territory.

Since you also work in a company, I’m sure you know what I’m talking about.

When I was younger, I always believed that being rooted in the Benevento region was just something that happened, and that had to do with my family. A tradition to be respected.

Often, in the last few years, I even thought this represented a limitation: being closer to bigger industrialized cities could have been very beneficial in terms of interactions; giving us the possibility to collaborate and gain visibility.

Sure, maybe you’re thinking it’s a little obvious, but it isn’t.

To remove from the center, means to create new areas of activity. Credits: Navid Baraty

Yes, because as time went by, I realized that staying in the “suburbs”, if we think about Rome and other cities as the center, could even be a choice. 

Decentralize, being there for our local territory became a way for us to give back to our territory. Looking to the other side: what are we for our territory?

Movement, economy, investments on youth, possibilities.

Think about a spoon, in its concave area: the reflection is the same, but the image is flipped. Changing perspective I realized that investing in the territory I was born in, was like bringing Turin or Milan here in Campania.

To remove from the center, means to create new areas of activity.

A very concrete sign of this “spoon effect” became evident a few weeks ago, when my sister Mariangela was nominated, by Unicredit Bank, a Member of the Local Council of Southern Italy (adt) for the 2018-2020 period.

Local councils are one of two organs (the other being Divisional Advisory Committees) that are created to strengthen the relationship with local communities.

There are 18 of them, one for each Italian area being represented. They are an advisory tool created by Unicredit bank, in order to locate successful factors and critical points in a specific area. They offer possibilities for growth and development, acting as ideas laboratories for the sharing of experiences between local protagonists, in the quest for the promotion of new initiatives.

Our company has been seen as an important reference point for the local market.

The dialogue between the different realities that will take part to the meetings will be centered on the development of new entrepreneurs, innovation, green economy, and other topics that SAPA’s focused on for a long time now.

The example that I can think of, is the implementation of the consolidated financial statement, a tool you’ve probably heard of, that serves as a witness for the transparency and reliability of our company and the tool itself.

Thanks to this tool, a few months ago Mariangela collected the “Felix Industry Award” for the best female company of Campania region. Another sign that industrialization in the south is not only possible, but can give great satisfaction to those who are willing to invest.

An open dialogue with the protagonists of the Local Councils will center on new technologies, which are the heart of what we do in SAPA.

As you might know, our One-Shot Method is to this day the fastest in the world to manufacture car’s components. A patented system allowing for the preservation of top notch performances, while granting lighter weight of components and reducing delivery time.

It is very clear to us that investors are now looking for research and innovative systems, capable of revolutionizing traditional processes, especially in areas that are far from big industrial cities.

In such places, a new movement can be born: a fresh and innovative movement for which the territory acts as a true protagonist in the quest for change.

SAPA is leading the way, in Italy and abroad. As a matter of fact, Volkswagen is one of its main clients, and the company has taken part to events such as the “Global Automotive Components and Suppliers EXPO” in Stuttgart and the IZB (International Suppliers Fair) that will take place in Wolfsburg in October.

Best wishes.

Giovanni Affinita
Chief Sales Strategist and member of SAPA’s Board of Directors.