Made in Italy Day, Historical Trademarks Association: reached the milestone of 1,000 Historical Trademarks, for a turnover of 93.6 billion euros and 363 thousand employees

• Lombardy has the largest number of National Historical Trademarks (28.3 percent);
• Prevailing in terms of turnover is the agribusiness chain with 53.7 billion euros;
• Eighty percent of enterprises assign a very high strategic value to the Historical Trademark;
• Customers of Historical Trademark Enterprises highly value the product.

Rome, April 15, 2026 – The Special Register of Historical Trademarks of National Interest has reached the milestone of 1,000 registered Historical Trademarks: an ecosystem composed of 780 owner companies that generate a total turnover of 93.6 billion euros and provide employment for 363,201 people.

The event opened with a video message from Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni

This is what emerges from the report “Italy’s 1000 Historical Trademarks of National Interest. Numbers, Territories and Prospects of a Made in Italy Industrial Heritage,” presented today at Palazzo Piacentini on Made in Italy Day, in the presence of Minister Adolfo Urso. The event was also an opportunity to illustrate the new financial instrument introduced with the reform of the Enterprise Preservation Fund, a pillar of the new strategy of growth and consolidation of Historical Trademarks of National Interest enterprises.

“Today we celebrate the work of generations of entrepreneurs who have helped build our country’s economic and manufacturing identity. It is a significant achievement to have reached 1,000 Historical Trademarks of National Interest. An achievement that, moreover, comes on the heels of National Made in Italy Day 2026 and reinforces its value.” This was stated by Sen. Adolfo Urso, Minister of Enterprise and Made in Italy.“We speak, therefore, of an achievement that goes beyond symbolic value and confirms the vitality of our industrial and manufacturing heritage, which is capable of combining tradition, quality, innovation and competitiveness, demonstrating that Italian manufacturing history is not a legacy of the past, but a strategic lever to face the challenges of an increasingly complex global context.”

“The milestone of 1,000 Historical Trademarks of National Interest represents an achievement of great value for the Italian production system. It is not just a number, but the concrete recognition of an industrial heritage that continues to generate employment, competitiveness and identity for the country,” commented Massimo Caputi, president of the Association of Italian Historical Trademarks. “In a context of protectionist tensions and new international agreements such as Mercosur, Historical Trademarks are among the most exposed assets: without adequate safeguard clauses in European treaties certifying their authenticity, we risk an erosion of our identity and the value of Made in Italy. In this direction, the birth of the new Financial Instrument that favors the growth of Historical Trademarks marks a paradigm shift, transforming from a defensive tool into a lever of industrial development. Thanks to the possibility of co-investing for intra-branch acquisitions, we favor the birth of solid and competitive Historical Trademarks clusters, capable of strengthening supply chains and keeping value anchored to the territory.”

The beating heart of this system is represented by the “4 A’s” of Made in Italy (Agribusiness, Automation, Clothing, Furniture), which alone are worth €76.1 billion (81.3 percent of the economic total detected), with a clear predominance of the agribusiness supply chain (€53.7 billion).

“The Report clearly highlights that Historical Trademarks are not just an identity asset, but a structural component of the Italian economy. We are talking about companies rooted in the territories, capable of generating economic value and employment and presiding over the main Made in Italy supply chains.” Added, Gianluca Brozzetti, Board Vice President of the Association of Italian Historical Trademarks. “At the same time, there is an emerging need to accompany this heritage in a new phase of development: companies are asking for greater visibility, shared valorization tools and a stronger ability to work as a system, including in international markets. It is on this transition that the future competitiveness of Historical Trademarks will be played out. .

Regional distribution confirms the strength of northern manufacturing clusters: Lombardy leads the ranking in terms of turnover (49.1 percent) and number of brands (28.3 percent), followed by Veneto (14.2 percent) and Piedmont (12.9 percent). However, a deep rootedness emerges throughout the country, with regional systems such as Emilia-Romagna, Veneto and Tuscany showing an incidence of the “4 A’s” close to or above 80 percent. In terms of sectors, the Registry is structurally industrial in nature: 88 percent of companies operate in manufacturing, where Agribusiness (44 percent of the total) and Automation-Mechanics (25 percent) maintain their role as economic and numerical pillars.

Eighty percent of companies assign the Historical Trademark a very high strategic value. Seventy percent integrate it into institutional materials and 46 percent directly on packaging. Although the use of the international version “Italian Historical Trademark” is still limited to 25 percent, almost half of the companies (46 percent) plan to use it in the future, signaling a strong desire to grow in global markets as a tool to counter Italian Sounding.

“We look to the future of Historical Trademarks in the world: we must preserve a tradition and at the same time make it current,” comments Armando De Nigris, Deputy Vice President of the Association of Italian Historical Trademarks and President of the Young Group of Historical Trademarks. “We are confident about the increasingly widespread adoption of the Italian Historical Trademark just as we hope for an increasing generational change that enhances heritage. Young entrepreneurs and managers today have the responsibility to transform the Italian industrial heritage into a lever of development, with new skills, new languages and greater international openness. This is how Historical Trademarks can continue to be protagonists in the coming decades.”

Videomessage of the President of the Council of Ministers, Giorgia Meloni

Report “Italy’s 1000 Historical Trademarks of National Interest”

List of 1000 Historical Trademarks of National Interest

New Historical Trademarks Development Fund

Press review

TG1 report of April 15, 2026 – National Made in Italy Day