Global Scans · Italy · Weekly Summary

WHAT'S NEXT?: The Italian economy is already in a fragile state and a now likely period of political uncertainty would be likely to do further damage. In particular, Italy's banking industry is seen as vulnerable to a loss of confidence. Italy could be the next domino to fall out of the EU through increasing populist party support.

• [New] The Italian shipbuilder projected a 40% increase in revenue through 2030, with a further target to double it to 18 billion euros by 2035 from the around 9 billion euros it expects to report for 2025. MarineLink
• [New] Fincantieri this week pledged to double its core profit to $1.49 billion in 2030 under a new defence-centred multi-year strategy that will also double its shipyard production capacity in Italy and expand its underwater business. MarineLink
• [New] In 2026, a dense electoral calendar will take the political temperature across Europe, with national elections in Hungary, Sweden and Denmark; regional or municipal elections in Spain, Germany, France and Italy; and parliamentary elections in Slovenia and Latvia. IDDRI
• [New] Thales is accelerating its hiring: over 9 new positions by 2026, 290 of which will be in Italy. FIRSTonline
• [New] Contaminated air and water could reach Poland, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Croatia, Slovenia, Serbia, Italy, Austria, Germany, Romania, Ukraine, the Baltic Sea, the Alpine region, and even the Mediterranean. Robert Lansing Institute
• [New] Italy will have a busy calendar of cultural, sporting, and traditional events in 2026. Italianismo - Noticias sobre a Italia
• [New] The Italian government will introduce a Regulatory Fee for low-value shipments. Sendon.com
• [New] Based in Milan, SRS Italy will be the first specialised provider of insurance management services specifically for captive insurance and reinsurance companies based in Italy. ReinsuranceNe.ws
• [New] The new obligation for companies in Italy to take out insurance policies covering natural catastrophes risk is credit positive for the P & C insurance sector. ReinsuranceNe.ws
• [New] Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance, a commercial property and casualty insurer that provides tailored solutions to businesses of all sizes, has expanded its operations in Italy with the launch of primary casualty policies for national and multinational risks. ReinsuranceNe.ws
• [New] As Italy prepares to host the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics, climate change is threatening snowfall, shortening winter seasons, and raising concerns about the future viability of winter sports and host locations. NewsGram
• [New] During the Games, organizers will be using 3 million cubic yards of artificial snow: In Northern Italy, as in all over the world, the sky can no longer be reliably expected to behave like it used to. The Atlantic
• [New] Automotive Cells Co. confirmed it will halt plans to build battery gigafactories in Germany and Italy and said it is holding talks with unions at its French venture as key backer Stellantis NV downsizes its electric-vehicle plans. financialpost
• [New] Research from Italy shows that competitive male bodybuilders who use IPEDs have a ten-times higher risk of sudden cardiac death compared with athletes who do not use performance-enhancing drugs. The Conversation
• [New] Last year, concerns about the risks of Chinese models held back some global users from adopting them, with high-profile DeepSeek in particular banned or restricted in more than 10 countries, including the US, Italy and India. South China Morning Post
• [New] Italy and Austria are each forecast to see just 0.8% growth, among the lowest rates globally. Visual Capitalist
• [New] Tourism will receive 7.4 million, against 100 thousand euro in 2021; sports and youth policies reach 10.5 million, also in view of the major events planned: in 2026 Naples will be the Italian sports capital and in 2027 it will host the America's Cup. Il Sole 24 ORE
• [New] WhatsApp will now charge AI chatbots to operate in Italy. MarketingProfs
• [New] The key question is whether Italy will be able to promote an approach of selective cooperation between Europe and China, based on shared standards and the principle of reciprocity in strategic sectors where mutually beneficial outcomes can be built. ECCO
• [New] Italy is ramping up cybersecurity planning for the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics, with officials warning that AI can amplify phishing, automation, and disruption attempts aimed at highly visible systems. Tech Startups - Tech News, Tech Trends & Startup Fundin
• [New] Spain is projected to see a 3% decline, supported by stronger macroeconomic momentum, while Italy's 2% decline largely reflects statistical effects from procedural reforms and a shrinking base of active companies. Insurance Business
• [New] Italy is always one of the best family vacation ideas, but 2026 is an especially great year to plan a trip. AOL

Last updated: 20 February 2026