About Us

The Association

Confindustria Toscana Nord is the association within the Confindustria system serving as a point of reference for the territories of Lucca, Pistoia, and Prato. Operational since 2016 and formed from the merger of the pre-existing associations of the three provinces, the association shares the essential values and an organizational structure based on the active participation of member companies with other components of the Confindustria network. Confindustria Toscana Nord is therefore autonomous, non-partisan, independent of any external influence, and non-profit; in addition to being governed by its own statute, it is inspired by the Code of Ethics and Association Values of Confindustria.

The association pursues its mission primarily through the achievement of three objectives: to express effective representation in all external interlocution venues; to ensure a solid identity and a widespread sense of belonging among member companies; and to provide efficient services.

Confindustria Toscana Nord is committed to promoting the adoption of behaviors typical of entrepreneurship within the context of a free society; to synthesizing demands and interests to express coherent and shared representation actions; and to activating strategic and innovative services. The member companies are organized into 10 product sectors:

• fashion system
• mechanical engineering
• papermaking and converting industry
• service industry
• chemicals, plastic, and pharmaceuticals
• building industry (ANCE Toscana Nord)
• food industry
• hardstone carving business and miscellaneous
• transport and logistics
• shipyards.

Our industry

The territory of Confindustria Toscana Nord Lucca Pistoia Prato represents 13.5% of the surface area and 25.1% of the population of the region. 31.5% of the industrial plants of the Tuscan territory are located in our territory and 28.9% of the workers in the region's industry work there. The manufacturing sector of the area employs 85 thousand people, 30% of Tuscany. The total Added Value produced is 23% of that of Tuscany; construction 24%, manufacturing 26% and services 22%. Exports represent approximately 20% of the Tuscan one. The companies are present with different, strongly segmented organizational structures.

The characteristics of the industries in the area are different: in Prato 93% of manufacturing employment is concentrated in small businesses, in Pistoia 80%. In Lucca and Pistoia respectively 27.5% and 17.3% of manufacturing employment is concentrated in medium-sized enterprises. Large companies are present in Lucca and to a lesser extent in Pistoia. In the three territories the entrepreneurial vocation is very high: according to Istat the Italian entrepreneurship rate is the highest in the European Union (30%), that of Tuscany rises to 36%, while in the three provinces it is even 40%.

The territory includes Made in Italy excellences: the paper district produces 75% of the national total of paper for hygienic and sanitary uses and 45% of corrugated cardboard (6% of European production); the major producers of yarns for luxury knitwear and high-end and technical fabrics are from Prato; the Viareggio yachting center has a very high entrepreneurial specialization index and produces a quarter of the yachts over 50 meters sold in the world. Pistoia produces high-speed trains, subways and trams sold all over the world. There is a strong specialization in the extraction and processing of stone materials in Lucca, as well as in mechanics, declined in various ways in the territories; paper mill machines in Lucca, food and railway machines in Pistoia, textile machines in Prato.