The role of foreign markets for Italian state-owned enterprises : industrial plant construction in developing countries (1950s-1970s)

The Italian construction industry has become a significant player in the global building sector despite a historical delay in the internationalization of its companies. To analyse this paradox, an interpretative scheme is proposed based on three main variables (political, financial and organizational). Following a previous study on private overseas Italian initiatives and resorting to unpublished archival sources, this paper scrutinises the experience of the two largest Italian public holding companies, Istituto per la ricostruzione industriale (IRI) and Ente nazionale idrocarburi (ENI). In doing so, it provides a fruitful vantage point for identifying long-term roots that help explain the importance of foreign markets for the Italian building industry today. [Publisher's text]