Dall'ambizione verde alla prosperità finanziaria: analisi delle dinamiche delle imprese cleantech in Europa

The European cleantech sector has flourished in the past decade, positioning itself as a leader in innova- tion. However, challenges persist in scaling and industrializing these technologies. Europe’s ambition to claim a significant share of the 650 billion euro clean technology market by 2030 necessitates addressing gaps in growth equity and scale-up finance for sustained competitiveness. The European Green Deal (EGD) establishes legally binding objectives for both the EU and its member states, requiring new regulations and revisions to facilitate an eco-friendly transition. On February 1, 2023, the Commission presented the Green Deal Industrial Plan in Brussels, aiming to bolster the EU’s manufacturing capacity for net-zero technologies. Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, envisions Europe leading in clean technology development, promoting quality jobs, inno- vation, and mass production. European entrepreneurs emphasize the importance of streamlining regulations, ensuring fair competi- tion, and addressing funding gaps. To quantitatively assess these challenges, this thesis conducts a sur- vey involving 332 companies from 25 European countries. Respondents are companies in the cleantech sector, with 73 percent having cleantech as part of their company mission and vision, 59 percent being driven by new business opportunities, and 27 percent having to comply with regulations. Challenges faced when operating in this field include strict regulations (47 percent), technological complexities (36 percent), and limited external funding (36 percent). Environmental, product safety, and operational safety policies have a significant impact on companies, emphasizing the need for a simplified regulatory environment. Access to finance proves challenging for companies, citing complex application processes and high competition. Current financing methods include internal funds and bank debt, with considera- tions for future options such as green bonds/ESG and hybrid financing. A shortage of skills, particularly in legal and intellectual property management, is evident. Supply chain preferences favor European sup- pliers for quality (70 percent) and price (60 percent), with limited use of local suppliers Despite companies’ confidence in Europe’s financial commitment to achieving net zero, doubts remain about the ambitious nature of these targets. As a result, while companies are optimistic about their abil- ity to cut CO2 emissions, there are fewer assurances that national and EU targets will be met. The thesis aims to bridge qualitative insights with quantitative data, providing a comprehensive under- standing of the challenges and opportunities within the European cleantech sector. The findings are intended to guide policymakers and serve as the foundation for subsequent research within the CLEU project. It is important to acknowledge limitations, including sample biases and temporal constraints inherent in the dynamic nature of the cleantech sector.