100 Examples of Sporting Excellence in Italy

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the Symbola Foundation, and Confartigianato Imprese, with Deloitte as knowledge partner, promoted the event "100 Italian Sport Stories," an initiative dedicated to Italian excellence in the world of sport and innovation. The event took place on Wednesday, 29 October, 2025, at the Sala Walter Corsi of Confartigianato, in Via di S. Giovanni in Laterano, Rome.

The event was introduced by Ermete Realacci, President of the Symbola Foundation; Marco Granelli, President of Confartigianato Imprese; Ernesto Lanzillo, Deloitte Private Leader; and Giuseppe Pastorelli, Deputy Director General for the Promotion of the Country System at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.

Andrea Abodi, Minister for Sport and Youth, delivered a speech.

The discussion was moderated by Manuela Rafaiani, journalist and member of the Board of Directors of the Symbola Foundation, and featured representatives of innovative sports companies: Barbara Borsani (CEO of Biotex), Marco Pochetti (Councillor of Cisalfa), Alessandra Sestini (CEO of Ortholabsport), and Fiorello Turla (Co-founder of Retificio La Rete).

"100 Italian Sport Stories" features one hundred examples of excellence, spread across all Italian Regions, demonstrating the existence of a country that competes and innovates. Behind sport there is a wide range of solutions and technologies that enhance performance, making it spectacular, safe, and sustainable. In this field, Italy can boast a rich production chain that has successfully combined culture and innovation, leveraging local expertise. This is also the reason why, in Italy, more than in other countries, sport has turned manufacturing art. Italy ranks second globally in terms of production diversity. This distinctive trait characterizes the entire national economy and is also reflected in the sports system. The Italian sports industry is, in fact, composed of many highly specialized businesses, capable of operating successfully in different markets.

Behind every product, every innovation, every achievement, there are companies that view sport not only as a market, but as a cultural heritage to be protected and promoted. The one hundred companies selected are divided into 256 local units, employ 20,716 people, and generate a turnover of €13.1 billion. This group accounts for approximately 2.4% of the total turnover of the companies operating in their respective sectors. The average turnover per employee is €630,864, thus highlighting a level of productivity higher than the industry average, with a ratio approximately three times higher than that of all companies involved in the same activities and 2.6 times higher than that of the Italian economy as a whole. These data and statistics confirm the high efficiency and strong competitiveness of the companies examined, many of which are benchmarks for innovation and development of the entire sports ecosystem, both nationally and internationally. It is no mere coincidence that approximately two-thirds of turnover (63.8%) comes from exports while, for companies within the same ATECO code range, this figure is 41.1%, dropping to 28.6% when considering all non-agricultural Italian economic activities. This indicator exceeds 70% of turnover for businesses focused on a single sporting discipline compared to those focused on multiple disciplines, and is 73.4% for companies producing equipment.