CONCLUSIONS
Scholars Petroni and sleeps in the most recent collective work on the history of chemistry in Italy (2006), cited in the sources, emphasize the " phenomenon is absolutely extraordinary that particularly in the last decade of the last century, has invested the Italian industrial system and that has been the settlement, which occurred in a few years, most production of the chemical structure of the country. The extraordinary event must be identified by the fact that in any other European countries and non-intensive industrialization, there has been a similar abandonment "
The argument put forward by the authors is that before the birth of Montedison were already the seeds of disease which then led to the disappearance of this great enterprise.
Italy under the influence of the reconstruction of the economic boom and then "unable to acquire a very large chemical production facilities in which prevails, however, the production of petrochemical origin." This is considered an element of imbalance in relation to other European countries, together with the low presence Italian chemical industry worldwide.
In the twenty years following the Second World War, Montecatini is a "political self-sufficient" by refusing offers of cooperation and exchanges with other major international companies to avoid competition and based on its position of dominance. This closure, however, puts it in an isolated situation causing it to lose ground.
A further element of weakness was the presence of different corporate cultures in Montecatini and Edison (see also the work edited by Amateurs and Bezzi, 1990, cited in the sources) and their lack of integration.
too many financial resources will be absorbed by petrochemical plants and the prevalence of burdensome "culture of engineers" compared to the "culture of chemical" contributes to the propensity for large installations. Besides the issues already mentioned, the period in which Cefis, head of ENI, Montedison scale, there is heavy interference by the political logic of large petrochemical poles is encouraged by the political class, so there are, in addition to Montedison poles, and similar poles Anic Sir. It leads to polarization of investment in this erroneous logic (not supported by adequate market surveys).
The pressure of debt will lead eventually cutting promising projects or their failure to develop
"It would have to wait another thirty years to see some enhanced existing skills in the laboratories research and the ex-factory where Montedison would somehow recovered the culture of chemical synthesis. "The authors cite a few reality that they have completed these exciting innovations including Novamont, Isagro and others.
happens that interesting new products developed for example by Donegani and have not had a phase of industrialization. The quality of these science-based knowledge is attested by subsequent developments. Once again, I mentioned Novamont and Isagro.
F. Amateurs contributes to the work of 2006 on the history of chemistry in Italy only with a short speech. But he is one of the editors of the most comprehensive ever written on the history of Montecatini to 1966. Therefore focuses its intervention on Montecatini. This company has made Italy a chemical plant height in other European countries but has been unable, after the fascist period, which had provided favorable conditions, to address in depth the new world situation. Notes critically that the Montecatini, in the days when collaborating with patented Natta polypropylene, extracted from lignite still Ribolla. As a final consideration, finds that a good thing in Italy have remained the medium chemical enterprises, which often are the heirs of the expertise of Montecatini and represent in some way a continuation.
This assessment was not shared by L. Gallino, author of The disappearance of industrial Italy (2003), which, using the argument that the medium-sized chemical companies derive from the wealth of knowledge accumulated by Montecatini, notes that though these companies do not have the size to do research properly, and then the positive phenomenon of a class of chemicals formed in the research will not be repeated for generations to come. This view agrees with what we have learned in some of our interviews, that the dr. Gambetti, for example, that positive memories is his experience as a researcher at Donegani fertile and the climate that prevails there is generally a wealth of professional experience to Montedison with all sectors in which it was possible to get test. The negative opinion of prof. Gallino our eyes may be partially tempered by the information we collect on Novamont attest that this be a reality that brings up the search, to the point to devote a significant portion of its budget.
Cavallone, another of the authors who contribute to the work of a 2006 essay entitled "The drift of the great chemistry in Italy and the decline of domestic industry, cites as a negative condition for the history of the Italian chemical industry, the prevalence concept of financial interests specifically productive.
A somewhat similar argument has been raised for the first time Scalfari and Turan. These two journalists are the authors of famous book master race, which was written while the events were in progress when Cefis (which appears somewhat negatively Cavallone) is still firmly at the top of Montedison. Their interpretation of events is that managers like Cefis not come from industry but from the political, aims mainly to power and consider the business as a tool to get it.
Scalfari and Johnson, in their work, characterized as follows the mentality of this type:
unlike capitalism, which "considers the policy as one of many tools and so many variables to be placed at the service of a single, which remains that of profit [...] back the forces of which the expression Cefis is not profit-oriented (and when we speak of profit is pointed out the economic category, not individual wealth, the appropriation of which the new master race tends in ways even more greedy ancient) for the simple reason that there are forces to 'own'. They are aimed at power. And the power and its exercise are first and foremost a political matter, to fully realize that the industrial structure and economic activity in general are a dependent variable. Here's the thing that makes the two different worlds irretrievably lamb and Cefis. "
In the work from which we took that quote is present analysis more detailed than that proposed by Cavallone, but the conclusions converge. Cavallone also cites Gallino, The disappearance of industrial Italy, in which a grade is found substantially similar to that of Turan and Scalfari, which shows the same negative aspects highlighted by these (and dominance of the financial management of the special features). Luciano Gallino also dealt with globalization, defined as the dominance of the financial component of economic activity than production and that on a global scale. He treats it as a dangerous phenomenon and should be carefully managed. About the Italian chemical industry, Gallino noted that all company matters involving Montecatini from 1966 onwards are dictated by the strong desire to avoid competition and agreed otherwise. The author notes with bitter irony that this behavior is contrary to the rules of capitalism formally recognized. It also notes that mergers often do not achieve the desired results when it comes to live among their mentality too different.
Sources
Amateurs F., Intervention in Pizzorni GJ (ed.), The Italian chemical industry in the twentieth century, Milan, Franco Angeli, 2006
Cavallone S., The drift of the great chemistry in Italy and decline in the domestic market, in Pizzorni GJ (ed.), The Italian chemical industry in the twentieth century, Milano, Franco Angeli, 2006
Gallino L., The disappearance of industrial Italy, Torino, Einaudi, 2003,
Petroni G., I. Dormio, the "long goodbye" the Italian chemical industry, in GJ in Pizzorni (a eds), The Italian chemical industry in the twentieth century, Milan, Franco Angeli, 2006
Scalfari E., Turan G., master race, Milano, Feltrinelli, 1974
