To achieve both the European objectives set for 2030 by the Fit for 55 package and those relating to 2050 set by the Green Deal, it will be necessary to start a path towards the transformation and the innovation of energy production and consumption processes to progressively reduce the use of fossil fuels, until complete decarbonisation. This process must, at the same time, promote a sustainable economy capable of generating economic development and social well-being.

In this context, this study turns its attention to the manufacturing and agri-food sectors with the aim of highlighting, through specific observation points, how much and in what way the sectors are progressing along the energy transition path.

For the manufacturing industry, the research path of previous years has continued, investigating the degree of digital innovation within the sector through the results of a survey on a sample of Small Businesses.
The evolution of the recent turmoils on the energy markets and the related economic impact suffered by the national manufacturing companies concerned and involved in the transition processes were subsequently examined.

The analysis was also extended to the production chains where, by understanding the processes’ input/output data gathered through questionnaires from a sample of manufacturing companies, the consumption flows of the two key energy vectors were identified: electricity and natural gas.
These initial results may act as support for any future interventions by the legislator aimed at promoting decarbonization policies and the adoption of green technologies.

Finally, the in-depth analysis of the industrial sector ends with a presentation and a thorough analysis of the main technological solutions available for hard to abate sectors, considering the most relevant aspects of feasibility and criticality.

Regarding the focus on the agri-food sector, the in-depth analysis of the surveys’ results carried out on the wine and dairy supply chains are presented together with the results of the one carried out on the pasta and tomato supply chains. The aim of this work is to analyse the point of view of the operators within the agri-food sector on topics such as sustainability, technological innovation and the main benefits/barriers found in implementing interventions aimed at decarbonising their processes.

The Report is available on the Italian site