September: the Right Time to Pause and Choose the Right Markets
September is not merely the month of returning to work. For those involved in internationalisation, it is the moment when figures are reviewed, activities initiated are concluded and, above all, decisions are made about where to invest in the following year. It is the coming months that will shape 2027.
Data Confirm the Growth of Italian Exports
The most recent data confirm the vitality of Italian exports. In the first half of 2026, overseas sales of Italian-made goods increased by 4.5%1https://www.ilmessaggero.it/economia/numeri_veri/export_dati_gennaio_giugno_europa_fatturato-9702865.html compared with the same period in the previous year, with a trade surplus exceeding €24 billion, bringing the total value to over €337 billion. Both European and non-European markets contribute to this dynamic, and the data serve as a reminder that opportunities exist. The real difference, however, lies in the method by which these opportunities are seized.
From Individual Events to an Internationalisation Project
Many companies continue to operate through individual activities: a trade fair, an occasional contact, a mission attended more out of opportunity than deliberate choice.
All useful, all legitimate, but rarely part of a broader design. Internationalising, by contrast, means building a project with a clear objective, defined phases and measurable results over time.
What it Means to Apply Project Management Logic to Export
In project management, a project is a purposeful pathway, not a random sequence of activities. Applying this logic to export means asking not so much “which trade fair will we attend next year?” but “which markets do we wish to establish a presence in over the coming years, and why?”. Each market requires a different project, with specific investments, capabilities, timescales and approaches: assuming a single formula for all means underestimating the complexity.
Choosing Foreign Markets: the First Step of the Project
The first step, therefore, is the choice of markets: a decision too often made on intuition and which should instead rest on a solid analytical foundation.
Size of demand, dynamics of imports, competitive structure, barriers to entry, compatibility with the company’s positioning: these are the criteria that help guide the choice.
Only at this point does it make sense to discuss operational strategy: which channels to activate, with which counterparts, with which commercial and digital tools, with which internal and external resources.
The Role of Data in Export Intelligence
In recent years the availability of data has increased considerably. The real challenge no longer concerns the quantity of information available, but the capacity to interpret it and transform it into concrete decisions. It is here that advanced export intelligence tools offer a genuine contribution, helping companies to define priorities and construct the most credible pathway.
The Roncucci&Partners Method for Internationalisation
For over twenty-five years Roncucci&Partners has worked with this approach, supporting companies across different sectors in building projects in over sixty countries. There is no model valid for all: there is, however, a replicable method adaptable to every business context.
September is the moment for decisions
In summary, September is the moment for decisions. It is not merely about restarting, but about deciding with awareness where to go. Ultimately, the real competitive advantage lies in knowing why those particular countries have been chosen, rather than simply being present in many.
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