Transport

Europe must raise productive investment spending significantly if it is to keep pace with global competition and meet net-zero goals, according to the EIB Investment Report 2022-2023 published today. The gap in productive investment between the European Union and the United States is  nearly 2% of GDP, a lag that has persisted for more than ten years. The EIB Investment Report — an annual publication based on the EIB Investment Survey answered by around 12 500 businesses across Europe — shows that the share of firms engaged in innovation dropped last year compared to 2021. Businesses named uncertainty, skill shortages and high energy costs as the major constraints on investment.

The European Investment Bank (EIB) is granting a €150 million credit line to the Emilia-Romagna region for micro, small and medium-sized companies via an agreement with Intesa San Paolo, BNL, BPER and Iccrea Banca. These intermediaries will grant financing to support small businesses and will use their own funds to contribute to investments.

The European Investment Bank (EIB) has granted, with InvestEU support, a €50 million loan to Asja Ambiente Italia to co-finance the construction of nine photovoltaic and wind power plants in Basilicata, Campania, Sardinia and Sicily. Turin-based company Asja Ambiente Italia has over 25 years of experience in the development, construction and management of renewable energy projects. The new plants, which must be operational by 2027, will have a total capacity of 238 MWp and will generate some 460 GWh of energy per year, equivalent to the annual energy consumption of 190 000 households in Italy.