Images of the recent earthquake that struck the Campi Flegrei area in the province of Naples have once again placed the fragility of the Italian territory and its urban infrastructure system in the center of media attention.
How to effectively act to the critical issues in our area?
This episode represents only the latest in a very long series of cases in which extraordinary natural phenomena have highlighted critical issues on national soil. From earthquakes to floods, from hydrogeological dis ruption to river flooding, natural disasters although they have always periodically affected our country, have increased considerably in recent decades, partly due to the exacerbation of the effects of the climate crisis.
A delicate and increasingly worrying picture that once again raises the question of the safety and maintenance of our national infrastructure. An issue central to the vision and mission of Sysdev, which for years has been engaged in the creation of cutting-edge solutions for the predictive monitoring of infrastructures: through control systems capable of verifying in real time the health of bridges, buildings and infrastructures, and of preventing criticalities and emergencies.
Work that, in light of recent events, we feel is even more urgent and necessary.
The government’s response: the obligation to take out an insurance policy
One of the responses brought forward recently by the Italian government, was the activation of new legislation enshriningmandatory insurance against catastrophic risks for Italian companies.
The so-called “Cat Nat” policy will cover a very large number of businesses both with registered offices in Italy and with registered offices abroad, but with a permanent establishment in our country.The decree, which went into effect on March 14, 2025, stipulates that all businesses subject to the obligation will have to take out such a policy by March 31, 2025, guaranteeing coverage against earthquakes, floods, landslides, and flooding. Exempt from the obligation are agricultural businesses and those whose properties have building abuses or zoning deviations
Therefore, entrepreneurs and female entrepreneurs who are engaged in business fall under the obligations of this legislation:
- An industrial activity, directed to the production of goods or services;
- An intermediary activity in the circulation of goods;
- A transportation activity by land, water or air;
- A banking or insurance business;
- Other activities auxiliary to the above.
What does the Cat Nat Policy entail in concrete terms?
In addition to the predictive protection of one’s human resources, the insurance obligation may bring several benefits to stakeholders in practice:
- Protection of business assets: that is, the protection of the value of business assets and activities, safeguarding working and investment capital.
- Business continuity: through reducing the time and cost of restoring damaged assets, and by facilitating faster business resumption.
- Access to public resources: in fact, insurance makes it possible to avoid possible disadvantages in the allocation of government grants, subsidies and benefits, especially in case of calamitous events.
- Proactive risk management: incentivizing hazard analysis, preventive measures, and improved emergency organization to increase business resilience.
At the same time, companies that choose not to insure against risks arising from catastrophic events within the timeframe stipulated in the regulations will expose themselves to negative economic as well as legal consequences:
- Loss of public resources: uninsured businesses may in fact risk being disadvantaged in the allocation of government grants, subsidies and facilities in the event of disaster events.
- Loss of business assets: without insurance, in fact, companies will have to fully cover the costs of restoration after a loss, with the possibility of running into serious financial difficulties.
- Loss of competitiveness: the absence of insurance coverage could cause business interruptions or reductions, consequently increasing the risk of loss of market, customers, and turnover.
But are we sure that this solution is sufficient to ensure greater security for Italian businesses and infrastructure?
From the paradigm of rescue to prevention
Although this legislation responds to the need to offer greater protection to Italian businesses and their infrastructure by providing adequate insurance coverage for the increasingly disastrous effects of natural disasters, the context in which it is inserted continues to be inscribed in a cultural paradigm focused on a posteriori intervention in the face of disasters: relief rather than prevention.
Predictive monitoring of infrastructure, on the other hand, can be a key tool to thoroughly analyze the stability of infrastructure and signal well in advance the presence of any structural issues that could give rise to collapse due to wear and tear or natural disasters.
In fact, the innovative SHBox system developed by Sysdev makes it possible to analyze in real time and remotely all the parameters necessary to observe the health of an infrastructure (from vibrations, displacements, deformations to temperature changes): to report any critical values.
Learn how to provide greater security for your infrastructure
Integrating a predictive monitoring strategy with appropriate insurance coverage can be a key investment for your business: protecting your infrastructure from the risks associated with unexpected stress and progressive wear and tear, thereby containing repair costs in the event of extreme events, but most importantly, maximizing the security and continuity of your business as best you can.