M&A Trends in Local Public Transportation in Italy

This paper analyzes thirty-two cases including alliances, merger consortiums, acquisitions and partnerships between diverse major Italian companies in the Local Public Transportation Sector. In order to single out the principal trends, special attention has been paid to the aims of the players, their needs and the strategies implemented. The actions taken by the institutions and the competent authorities regarding the regulations have also had a very important role, mostly after the Law 422/97 (Decreto Burlando), that, by introducing transparent public selections, has forced Local Authorities to modify players’ strategies to become more efficient and sustainable by promoting, liberalizing and modernizing the service. The players, accustomed to a competition-free framework, have had to face the change by M&A processes establishing alliances and collaborations, proactively redefining their positions, to ward off the threats of liberalization.