Today in Naples, a network contract was signed by 9 utilities, public service companies providing energy, water, and environmental services operating in Southern Italy, forming the Southern Network. Through this network, companies associated with Utilitalia have decided to join forces to improve the services offered to citizens and jointly address the main operational, financial, and regulatory challenges of the moment. Among the signing utilities is also Abc Napoli, a special company of the Municipality of Naples for the integrated water cycle.
Southern Network is a key project for the relaunch of infrastructure investments in the water, environment, and energy sectors, which, according to a subsidiary approach, lays the foundation for compensating the limitations resulting from excessive managerial fragmentation. The first example in Southern Italy in the local public services sector, the network of companies will promote the coordinated development of companies, function as a central purchasing body for the joint procurement of goods and services, and facilitate the sharing of some activities and services among managers.
The participating utilities will be able to support each other on three priority fronts: to be more effective and competitive in procurement, to easily intercept public finance opportunities destined for them, and to proactively engage with the regulator and public administration with shared proposals. Additionally, new objectives are being studied that the Network will add to its program in the coming months.
«With this initiative – explains the president of Utilitalia, Filippo Brandolini – the Federation intends to make a concrete contribution to a greater development of public services in the South, which suffer from excessive fragmentation and still too widespread presence of economic management. Networking among managers is an important step to strengthen the system of public service companies according to an industrial logic, an obligatory path to improve the services provided to citizens and to generate positive impacts on employment and the local economy».
«Today more than ever, networking is essential to be able to offer citizens a service that is increasingly up to the challenges of the times – emphasize the extraordinary commissioner of Abc, Andrea Torino, and the general director, Sergio De Marco – and to ensure the full use of national and European funding lines».
