Carpi's industrial activities are highly developed and diversified and play an essential role in key sectors of the domestic and European economy.

AGRICULTURE AND FOOD PROCESSING
Appellation Products world-renowned for quality and uniqueness.

The companies operating in this sector were amongst the first to meet the challenge from globalization, adopting advanced promotional and distribution strategies so as to unequivocally mark off their typical, superior products. Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, Lambrusco wine and Modena ham are the result of true gastronomic craftsmanship which have been granted the recognition they deserve by the E.U. and they are registered as D.O.P. (Appellation of Protected Origin) and I.G.P. (Protected Geographical Designation). Sub-division of the market has made many companies in the sector improve production flexibility but most of all to better the quality of the products and increase the range of products. The sector includes 1,000 companies, employing 1,800 workers with 20% of production being exported.

THE TEXTILE TRADE
Superior quality has been the key to success in this sector.
In recent years, companies in this sector have made big investments in the design of quality products. Knitwear, clothing and textile companies which are the primary driving force behind the district's economy, making it the major production pole of the region are positioned in the medium and medium-high bracket of the market. Thanks to the high flexibility of their manufacturing organization, the companies are capable of offering a wide range of collections and models in quick response to the latest market trends. The sector includes 1,800 companies, employing 8,100 workers with 40% of production being exported.

MECHANICAL INDUSTRY
This sector can be said to be virtually in perpetual motion around the world.
The mechanical sector is strongly oriented to export; the companies have adopted strategies aimed not only at improving product quality but also at upgrading the services offered to their customers. Investments have allowed diversification in the product range and optimisation in the production cycles, thus providing the sector with potential for innovation well above the average. There are 130 companies employing 1,300 workers with 55% of production being exported.

FARMING MACHINERY
Sowing new marketing ideas to harvest success has been the guiding philosophy in this sector.
Carpi is one of the major poles at a national level in the construction of farming machinery. In fact, about 40% of the people working in this sector in Italy are employed by companies located in Emilia-Romagna. This sector has picked up in recent years also thanks to innovative strategies implemented by companies operating out of this area, based on product quality improvement and diversification and agressive penetration into new markets. The sector includes 110 companies employing 1,900 workers with 65% of production being exported.

WOOD WORKING MACHINERY
The ability to innovate while maintaining a long-standing tradition.
Constant investment in research and development in new materials has guaranteed the competitivity of the companies located in Carpi and its hinterland to the point that it is one of the leading poles of wood working machinery production in Europe. This success has also been the result of important partnerships set up amongst different companies and of a close collaboration with universities and training centres. For these reasons, the companies have been able, not only to maintain their position, but also to strengthen it on the main markets world-wide in a sector which has become ferociously competitive. The sector includes 19 companies employing 1,300 workers with 70% of production being imported.

ELECTRONICS
Investing for success thus making for new and further investments has been the dynamic strategy marking the growth of this sector.
Sustained by a boom in world markets, the companies in this sector have consistently ploughed back their profits into their businesses so as to improve their productivity and to develop new products. Globalization has encouraged these companies to make ever increasing commitments of resources to research and development of products incorporating advanced tecnologies so as to keep up with the latest achievements in the field. They have also strengthened their position through strategic business agreements and joint ventures with foreign businesses. The sector includes 100 companies employing 600 workers with 30% of production being exported.

CHEMICALS AND PLASTICS
The original formula for success.
Together with those of the ceramic sector in the neighbouring district of Sassuolo, these companies have distinguished themselves in recent years for their commitment to minimising environmental impact, a commitment which has entailed considerable investments but which has undoubtedly paid off. In fact, attention to the environment is increasingly being considered a strategic factor for ensuring the competitive viability of a company. Companies which are export-oriented have proven to be the most innovative. These companies have had to keep up-to-date with the latest standards and tecnologies allowing them to operate over a wide number of markets. They have developed an extremely wide range of quality products and they have organised themselves in such a way, as to offer exhaustive and efficient services to their customers. The sector includes 60 companies employing 500 workers with 40% of production being exported.

TOURISM AND CULTURE
Come to Carpi and have a taste of Italy.

In 1882 Hans Semper, the famous German art historian, defined Carpi as a princely seat of the Italian Renaissance. A good part of the artistic and architectural heritage described by Semper has been faithfully preserved down to this day, including: the Pio Palace, embellished by 15th and 16th century frescoes; Piazza dei Martiri, the major city square with its Renaissance design still intact; the Cathedral, and the Church of St. Nicholas. The ancient Pieve of St. Mary built in 751 A.D. under the reign of the Lombard king Astulphus is an outstanding example of early Medieval architecture. In addition to churches, palaces and convents and the general architecture of the town, another point of interest is the Museum dedicated to the victims of the holocaust. In fact, during the Second World War, Fossoli, an outlying ward of Carpi, was the location of the most important concentration and deportation camp in Italy from which about 5,000 people were subsequently sent to Auschwitz, Mauthausen and other Nazi concentration camps. Another attraction is the civic museum and art gallery which, amongst others, houses important stuccoes and plaster works made according to the technique invented by Guido Fassi (1584-1649) and exported to the major European courts of the period, as well as noteworthy artworks dating back to various periods made with the xylographic technique, and 19th and 20th century decorative paintings by Lelio Rossi, Fermo Forti, Albano Lugli, Carlo Grossi, and Andrea Becchi. A number of important private collections of contemporary art are also on display. And last but not least, another reason for coming to Carpi is its exquisite cuisine which may be enjoyed in a number of typical restaurants located in pleasant countryside settings along the via Emilia, the ancient Roman road. The sector includes 160 establishments employing 500 people.

INNOVATIVE SERVICES OFFERED BY THE TERTIARY SECTOR TO THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY

• Searching of partners for joint-ventures and strategic alliances
• Searching of areas for new industrial estates
• Support for entry into international markets and export
• Personnel selection
• Aiding in finding expert consultation
• Financial assistance
• Assisting in obtaining credits
• Developing strategic plans
• Company repositioning according to international standards
• Providing information on fees, rates and tariffs, on national and iternational regulations governing specific sectors
• Company trade-mark protection
• Risk assessment and evaluation of new market potentials
• Assistance for developing new ideas into a business
• Managing contacts and relationships with universities and research centres

The guiding philosphy of the operators in this sector is to make economic development go hand-in-hand with social development, and their strategy is to work with business on a one-to-one basis.