Brain Gain in Italy in 2025: When Returning Benefits Everyone
Some leave to study, others to pursue a new professional opportunity, and some simply to follow a broader vision of their personal and career growth. But in 2025, more and more Italians living abroad are starting to ask themselves: “What if I moved back to Italy?” It’s not just a matter of emotional or cultural ties. Today, there are tangible tools, tax incentives, and real career opportunities for those who choose to bring their skills back to their home country.
The so-called “brain return law” – officially Incentives for the Return of Highly Qualified Workers – is not new, but it has recently been updated and relaunched with greater strategic focus. For this reason, at Kilpatrick, we are closely observing this trend, both from the perspective of executive candidates looking to return, and from that of Italian companies in need of high-potential profiles with international experience.
A Real Opportunity for Those Who Built Careers Abroad
Italian law now provides significant tax benefits for those who return after living and working abroad for at least two years. The incentive consists of tax relief on income from employment or self-employment, with reductions reaching up to 60%, depending on individual circumstances and the region where the person relocates. This is a substantial incentive, making returning financially advantageous. As of 2025, the benefit also extends to individuals returning within nine years of their departure.
However, tax benefits are only part of the picture. Coming back also means reintegrating into a labor market that, while different from those abroad, is rapidly evolving. Digitalization, sustainability, and the professionalization of SMEs are just a few of the factors transforming the Italian business landscape, making it attractive for those with a global outlook and strategic skills.
Kilpatrick and the Expat Perspective: Coming Back Is Not a Step Back
As an international executive search firm, we’ve worked for years with Italian professionals living abroad. Many hold key positions in multinationals, startups, investment funds, universities, and international institutions. These are individuals who have accumulated valuable experience, developed intercultural leadership, and built a global professional network.
When an expat contacts us about returning, they often ask the same questions:
“Are there companies ready to value my profile?”
“Will I find myself in a more rigid system?”
“Will I find stimulating and modern professional environments?”
Today, more than ever, the answer is yes. Italy has a growing business ecosystem focused on innovation and eager for cross-functional skills. Companies are beginning to understand that the value of an expat is not only in their résumé but also in their mindset, adaptability, and ability to bridge different worlds. Our job is to facilitate this match: to build bridges between those ready to return and those ready to welcome them.
The Perspective of Italian Companies: An Opportunity Not to Be Missed
For Italian enterprises, integrating professionals with international experience can be a decisive strategic move. Whether it involves a mid-sized company pursuing global expansion, a corporate entity seeking new stimuli, or a startup in need of acceleration, the return of talent represents a valuable and increasingly accessible asset.
However, capitalizing on this opportunity requires deliberate preparation.
Organizations must revisit their onboarding frameworks, design credible career development pathways, and incorporate organizational flexibility and workplace environments that align with the expectations of individuals coming from international ecosystems. Most importantly, companies must overcome a long-standing bias: perceiving returnees as “overqualified” or “misaligned” with local market dynamics. The real challenge lies in recognizing and integrating experiential diversity as a core component of the organization’s DNA.
Returning Today with Awareness and Vision
In 2025, returning to Italy is no longer driven by nostalgia or necessity. It is a strategic choice – an opportunity to create value and contribute to a transforming national context. The tools are in place: tax incentives, talent attraction projects promoted by the regions, and growing opportunities in sectors such as tech, energy, industrial digitalization, consulting, healthcare, and sustainability.
At Kilpatrick, we are convinced that the return of expatriate professionals constitutes a strategic asset to the country’s growth. Accordingly, we accompany Italian professionals throughout their reintegration process, facilitating their entry into organizations capable of appreciating their skills and ambitions. Simultaneously, we support companies in rethinking their recruitment strategies with a truly international and future-oriented perspective.
Conclusion: The Value of Returning—For Oneself and the Country
Returning to Italy in 2025 can represent a highly strategic career move, when undertaken with the right knowledge and the right partners. For professionals, it is an opportunity to apply internationally acquired competencies within a rapidly evolving domestic environment. For companies, it presents the chance to incorporate advanced leadership models, a global mindset, and multidimensional innovation capabilities.
And this is where the role of executive headhunting becomes crucial: to find the perfect match between those who return and those ready to welcome them. It’s not just about “relocating” an expat, but about creating high-value professional paths, supported by listening, strategy, and deep market knowledge.
Kilpatrick Executive: The Right Partner to Maximize the Return
At Kilpatrick Executive, we’ve spent over twenty years supporting the growth of Italian and international companies with a tailored approach to executive search. We work daily with high-potential professionals – many of whom are Italians abroad – eager to return and bring value in their home country. We also partner with companies seeking to open up to the future, embrace international perspectives, and drive global expansion.
Our offering goes well beyond conventional recruitment: we provide a structured methodology, a global network, and a human-centric, advisory-led vision of executive search. Because returning to Italy should not mean “settling,” but rather opening up to new opportunities, with the right guidance and in an environment that truly values global human capital.
If you are an Italian professional abroad considering a return, or a company seeking to integrate internationally seasoned talent, Kilpatrick stands ready to guide your journey.