Matera’s living room district, from crisis to relaunch thanks also to European funds

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The 2008 crisis is over and, although the numbers of the boom of the 90s are still distant, the “living room district” of Murgia, between Basilicata and Puglia, has restarted and is looking to international markets by focusing on quality and innovation. Thanks to a path in which private resources have joined public funds: from program agreements to the over two million from the European Regional Development Fund which have made it possible to train and relocate over 500 workers in Matera alone. It was the 2007-2013 programming and those resources in place made it possible to overcome the emergency and create new opportunities. Today we can make a first assessment.

The parable of the entire sector, which affects both Matera and the centers on the border with Puglia, begins in the 90s when what Saverio Calia, general director of marketing and planning of Calia Italia, defines as «the real production and economic boom» was recorded. for a sector which in its peak period recorded over 12 thousand direct and related workers. The setback came in 2005 and continued for three years. «Until 2008 there was a dramatic situation – reconstructs Calia who is also the president of the Wooden Furnishings section of Confindustria Basilicata -, with numerous companies having to close and others going down the drain. To deal with the emergency we all had to reorganize ourselves.”

Emergency solutions

The redundancy fund made it possible to immediately save the workers. Then there were other interventions financed by the public and private sector to find alternative solutions. «Retraining and training programs have been carried out which have affected workers who have left the production cycle, allowing those who have not retired to find new employment – underlines Angelo Vaccaro, secretary of Fillea CGIL -. It must be said that in recent years there has been no lack of resources, we are still within a program agreement.”
In Matera an important contribution came from European funds: 2.2 million euros from the 2007-2013 programming cycle (600 thousand ESF and the rest ERDF) used for training and “reprofessionalisation” courses. The initiative made it possible to “save ” 516 jobs. These are the people who left production during the crisis.

Between tourism and digitalisation

Thanks to European funding, courses have been organized on upholstered furniture production techniques, design, marketing, business management, foreign languages, digitalisation, green economy and tourism. Followed by internships and work support services. Around 30% returned to the furniture production cycle “with more skills”, 70% found a new job in construction, furniture and design, and tourism. «For the companies that have managed to survive, the path of innovation and digitalisation and a process of renewal have opened up – adds the exponent of Confindustria Calia -. This allowed us to move forward and start growing again.”

Recovery during Covid

The record of the recovery during the Covid period “when – adds Vaccaro – there was almost a rush to buy”.
From the latest monitor of the Intesa SanPaolo districts, between 2019 and 2021 the turnover of the 109 companies in the Murgia upholstered furniture district grew on average by 23.7% but there are companies that recorded growth of more than 50%. . In 2022, the high price of raw materials made itself felt and caused a new setback which continued in 2023 due to the war in Ukraine. «The effects of the conflicts have weighed – adds the trade unionist – but the sector, which today has around 7,500 people compared to 12,000 twenty years ago, has managed to resist by focusing on internationalization and quality». The head of Confindustria also shares the same opinion. «Today companies have grown compared to the past and focus a lot on high-level products – he adds -, certainly the effects of international conflicts are being felt, but the sector is holding up».