The strengths and strains of a sector in which investment and expertise must translate into projects that are sustainable for the entire supply chain.
Two realities coexist in the Italian tunnelling industry. The first is strong infrastructure demand: ANCE, the Italian construction industry association, forecasts 12% growth in investment across the construction sector as a whole in 2026. [1] Yet a project pipeline does not, on its own, guarantee steady sites and healthy companies. Between the funding of a project and its handover lies a chain of designers, contractors, excavation specialists, suppliers, technicians and site crews. If risk is poorly allocated and payments arrive too late, that chain can weaken just as demand is growing.
This is the paradox from which any analysis of Italian tunnelling must start: there is no shortage of potential work; what has to be made sustainable is the way it is planned, awarded, executed and paid for.
Where the supply chain comes under strain
Building a tunnel is always a complex engineering challenge. It takes machines, specialised personnel and coordinated decisions. When a variation is left pending, or completed work takes too long to turn into cash, the burden falls unevenly: those with the thinnest financial reserves can find themselves effectively financing part of the project.
The payment problem reaches beyond national borders. According to the EU Payment Observatory, 52% of European businesses reported difficulties caused by late payments in 2024; almost one in three said they had in turn paid late because they had been paid late themselves. These are Europe-wide, cross-sector figures, but they capture well the knock-on effect that a major project must be able to avoid. [2]
Our argument is simple: competitiveness is not measured only by the ability to win a tender or advance the excavation. It is also measured by how well the supply chain holds together until the project is handed over.
Where to start?
Late payments in construction: get liquidity to where the work is done
Clear progress statements, timely verification and visibility over payments to specialist suppliers help keep people and equipment at work. Site continuity also depends on the financial health of the smaller companies.
Supply chain alliances: build them from the planning and bidding stage
Italian suppliers and sub-suppliers know the technical risks, the supply lead times and the resources needed to deal with them. Pooling this knowledge before the tender can improve design choices and prevent stoppages on site. Joining forces commercially as well makes it possible to be selective about opportunities, offer complementary skills and submit stronger bids. This calls for clearly defined roles, responsibilities, decision-making and cash flows.
Open up to more markets: Italian tunnelling expertise abroad
In tunnelling, “Made in Italy” is not just the origin of a machine or the flag on a hard hat. It is the demonstrable ability to solve complex problems: analysing the project, selecting and adapting the excavation method, managing safety, documenting decisions, integrating mechanical systems and civil works, training people and keeping the works programme reliable.
This capability needs to be made transferable and demonstrable: comparable production data, technical case studies told with rigour, certified skills, good safety practice, and a track record in managing excavated material and interfaces with existing infrastructure. That is how the experience gained on one project becomes credibility for the next, in Italy and abroad.
Let’s open the conversation
The outlook for the Italian tunnelling industry is positive, on one condition: that demand for infrastructure is turned into a supply chain that is more predictable, paid on time and able to invest.
For AB Tunnelling, this article is an invitation to take a concrete step. We are open to discussions with Italian suppliers, sub-suppliers and specialist contractors to explore strategic alliances, prepare bids together and share solutions to the problems that recur on site.
Which skills would it make sense to combine? Which projects or critical issues could we start working on together? We invite everyone working in the supply chain to write to us and open the conversation. A worthwhile collaboration can begin with a first direct exchange.
Key sources
1. ANCE, Scenari regionali dell’edilizia (Regional Construction Scenarios), 30 July 2026: https://ance.it/2026/07/scenari-regionali-delledilizia-il-nuovo-report-ance-fotografa-investimenti-pnrr-e-mercato-della-casa/
2. European Commission, EU Payment Observatory, Annual Report 2025: https://single-market-economy.ec.europa.eu/document/download/8aabc383-52ce-49a9-a197-b4c49dc79a64_en?filename=Summary+2025.pdf
3. Ghella, Sustainability Report 2025: https://www.ghella.com/es/sustainabilityreport