Bekaert in Macchiareddu is up for sale, leaving the future of its employees uncertain . Barbara Porru, president of the Cagliari Industrial Consortium, spoke out regarding the situation of the Belgian multinational, which has had a presence in the region for over half a century: "We regretfully learn of the decision by Bekaert, a company of international importance, to sell its assets in Sardinia, citing the unsustainability of its competitive position due to high energy and transportation costs , which are no longer competitive. This business has been a driving force in Sardinia's industrial fabric for over 50 years, a legacy that has generated employment and related industries for the region, and which we would like to see continue to grow. The decision to cease production is unfortunately a clear sign of the delicate moment businesses are going through , especially in Sardinia, where the cost of production and logistics remains one of the most difficult challenges to overcome ."
At stake, as Assemini Mayor Mario Puddu also noted, is the " risk of layoffs for 237 direct workers and approximately 50 related workers , along with their families." This possibility "causes us anxiety and concern." The mayor and CACIP board member—in addition to expressing his sympathy and solidarity with all the workers involved—emphasized that in recent days he "had a telephone conversation with the CEO of Bekaert Sardegna and we have agreed to meet to further explore the situation." Puddu promised to urge the Region and government " to immediately establish an institutional discussion that will provide concrete answers. Obviously, I will inform the entire city council of all this."
These efforts are shared with the president of CACIP, who emphasizes the work being done in collaboration with public and private institutions to support local businesses at such a critical time: "We firmly believe that only through the integration of technical innovation, efficient services, and environmental investments can we create the conditions for a lasting industrial revival. To this end, we are working to strengthen our environmental platform, making it among the most modern in Italy, with the goal of improving waste-to-energy and composting plants and completing the process that will lead to the production of biomethane from organic waste treatment."
But for the future of businesses, the island's decarbonization process will need to be accelerated : "To make Sardinia's industry truly attractive and sustainable, it is essential to guarantee a stable energy supply, ensuring the national tariff equalization of the increased costs of methane transport and distribution on the island. This will allow Sardinia to apply the same tariffs as the rest of the country. This means, among other things, rapidly bringing methane to the island on equal terms, bridging an infrastructural and competitive gap that has impacted the productivity of our companies for decades , and continuing to invest in research to identify alternative and sustainable energy sources. Only in this way will it be possible to combine renewable sources with concrete and immediate alternatives for the energy transition. In this context, energy communities can play an important role, representing an opportunity for synergy and sharing between businesses and local areas, capable of increasing energy autonomy, promoting innovation, and creating value at the local level. At the same time, we believe it is a priority to also intervene in terms of territorial continuity, to ensure efficient and sustainable logistics, and to promote connections between Sardinia and the rest of Italy."
(Unioneonline/vf)
