Introduction. Commentary and aerial shots reveal the old north-south contrasts in the country. But these are not enough to understand contemporary Italy.

01.50 - 02.16

A new 'Third Italy', transforming the Northeast, is shown, with references to and aerial views of Venice and rural landscapes.

02.16 - 02.46

Commentary and a map help define where the region is.

02.46 - 03.40

The last twenty years have brought great change. Commentary and interviews set out to explain the factors behind this. We then focus on the town of Treviso.

03.40 - 04.46

Ground-level and aerial shots show small industrial and commercial premises. The Roces inline skates business is visited.

04.46 - 07.46

Interview with the Sales and Marketing Director of Roces. He is only 25 years old. He explains the keys to success: always seeking new markets, risk-taking, small flexible networks, and global markets.

07.46 - 09.35

Further commentary. The question 'Is small always beautiful?' Focus on Benetton. Typical features emerge from aerial footage and commentary: modern production techniques; high-level PR; global markets; an international workforce; and contracting out to small firms (such as the local dye company).

09.35 - 10.10

Interview with Gigi, a young man working for the dye company supplying Benetton. Shots of the various processes in the background.

10.10 - 11.10

Commentary picks out migration as a factor. Gigi is from Bari in the south; he is one of a growing number migrating to the Northeast.

11.10 - 12.25

Commentary on the sacrifices and rewards for those migrating to the Third Italy: loneliness at first, but a higher standard of living. Car ownership becomes possible.

12.25 - 14.50

Aerial footage and interviews illustrate the crucial role of research and design for firms in this region, epitomised by Benetton's new research centre called Fabrica. Companies believe this is the key to their creative and marketing edge. An interview with Carmen, a graphic designer from Germany, illustrates Benetton's approach.

14.50 - 17.15

Other migrants from war and poverty in Europe are providing the workforce for the Third Italy. Adriano, an Albanian, fled the civil unrest in his country in the early 1990s. Eventually, through family contacts, he settled in Treviso and got a job as a delivery driver. He contrasts the modern, flexible life here with Genoa's more 'set-in-its-ways' approach.

17.15 - end

Concluding commentary on the Third Italy - the factors behind its success and the hopes of the newcomers.

Key words and ideas

• economic development
• hi-tech industry
• science parks
• industrial estates
• greenfield sites