Crediti deteriorati e piccola dimensione delle imprese: l'opportunità delle reti

Non Performing Loans and Small-Sized Firms: the Opportunities of Networks. At the end of 2015, 81% of non-performing loans came from loans to enterprises and in particular those up to 2.5 million (granted mainly to small and medium-sized enterprises) and involved 1.2 million entrusted customers (98.19% of the total). About 27% of Italian SMEs have experienced situations of serious crisis which in some cases have turned into default. The small size of our companies in the current globalized environment reduces competitiveness (particularly innovation and internationalization) and implies dif culties related to nancial management and consequent reduction in the rating assigned by banks according to the Basel criteria. However, if SMEs are reluctant to increase their size, a strategic alternative could be found in the network. This organizational model allows a set of SMEs to operate on the market with the competitiveness of a company of medium to large size. In addition, the individual companies organized in the network improves their creditworthiness, thanks to the positive effects of network membership on economic performance: revenue growth, increasing investment, reduced costs. If banks are able to evaluate the relational system, smaller enterprises joined together into networks will bene t from better access to credit, especially if the organization is stable and planned. In addition, as for the banking system, nancing of these networks could reduce credit risk.