The National Conference on Export and Business Internationalization, held at Fiera Milano Rho, provided an opportunity to discuss past achievements and share the goals to be reached in the coming months. This was complemented by a focus on concrete actions and figures, a topic that was repeatedly highlighted in the speeches of the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Antonio Tajani. The Minister of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forestry, Francesco Lollobrigida; the Deputy Minister for Business and Made in Italy, Valentino Valentini; the leaders of the Italy System Agencies and the main manufacturing associations; prominent figures from the business world; and authoritative members of the press, took the floor before over 2,000 participants.
As Minister Tajani highlighted in his opening remarks, the Conference was the culmination of a comprehensive strategy implemented by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI), together with the Italian system, to relaunch export support and meet the challenges of the new international context. That effort, which began in 2025 with the presentation of the Export Action Plan, was punctuated by a robust program of business forums and economic missions, for a total of 50 economic partnership initiatives spanning every continent and involving over 7,500 Italian companies, with the organization of approximately 5,000 B2B meetings with foreign counterparts. That commitment, supported by the launch of new subsidized financing measures for exporting companies and by decisive action at the European level to protect Made in Italy products and open new markets, contributed to 3.3% export growth in 2025, despite international crises and tensions. This trend will continue with further momentum in 2026, building on the meetings already held with Germany, Finland, Jordan, the Principality of Monaco, and Ethiopia, as well as the initiative held in Trieste dedicated to the IMEC corridor. New trade partnership events are also planned with China, Turkey, the United States, Japan, Mexico, Albania, Tunisia, Montenegro, Rwanda, India, Canada, and Qatar.
Within this framework, the interest of associations and companies in meetings with the Heads of Missions – with 5,500 requests received and 1,700 appointments organized during the Conference (more than double the number of those held in 2024) – confirmed the importance of the initiative and the expectations of the business community regarding the irreplaceable role that the diplomatic network plays in supporting Italy’s economic growth worldwide.
The participation in the Conference of ITA Directors and experts from CDP, SACE, and Simest, who supported the Ambassadors in meetings with companies, also demonstrated the Foreign Ministry’s renewed ability to unite all the players of the Italian system, conveying to companies a strong message of shared commitment to serving the country’s growth.
The event was enriched by the presentation of projects promoting Italian excellence, part of a wide range of tools that the Directorate General for Growth and Export Promotion makes available to the diplomatic-consular network and the Italian Cultural Institutes to support their economic diplomacy efforts. These included, in particular, the “Growth” project and promotional tools dedicated to fashion, sports, and local areas (food and wine, industrial districts, innovative companies), which can be made available upon request by interested Offices and Missions. These tools, along with the many Business Guides drafted by the Embassies and available on the renewed portal Piano-Export.gov.it, helped project the image of a Foreign Ministry responsive to the needs of companies and committed to supporting them through innovative and easily accessible tools. Finally, on the eve of the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games, sports diplomacy was paid considerable attention as a driver for internationalization. Sports Diplomacy is indeed a strategic priority for the government, and Minister Tajani noted that in Italy the sports sector alone is worth €25 billion, or 1.4% of GDP. Referring to Milan Cortina, the Minister added that major sporting events like the Olympics “are extraordinary opportunities for growth and the internationalization of regions.” After the Milan Cortina event, Italy will host the Louis Vuitton’s Cup in the Gulf of Naples this spring, followed by the America’s Cup in 2027.
Following the Conference, a working dinner was hosted in collaboration with the Altagamma Foundation at the ADI Design Museum in Milan. The event, attended by Undersecretary Tripodi, highlighted the Foreign Ministry’s commitment to the international promotion of Italian design and provided a valuable opportunity to deepen collaboration between Heads of Missions and companies representing Italian excellence.
Finance and Diplomacy for Italy’s Growth
The National Export Conference was followed, on December 18, by the initiative “Finance and Diplomacy for Italy’s Growth,” organized in collaboration with the Italian Stock Exchange and hosted in its premises. The meeting continued the dialogue between Heads of Missions and representatives of the financial world, with the dual objective of highlighting the role diplomacy can play in attracting investment and developing the capital market, and of providing Embassies with operational ideas to support their work in promoting Italy as a reliable and competitive destination for international investors.
The event was opened by Borsa Italiana CEO Fabrizio Testa and Undersecretary Maria Tripodi, who emphasized the value of private finance as an essential infrastructure for growth, and recalled the solidity of Italy’s economic fundamentals, the country’s improved rating by major rating agencies, and the importance of foreign investment for the competitiveness of the national production system.
Along with presentations by several Heads of Missions, aimed at sharing concrete experiences of activating Offices abroad to attract international investment, the event was also enriched by contributions from The European House Ambrosetti, which illustrated Italy’s progress in the Global Attractiveness Index 2025; the State Property Agency, which highlighted the opportunities associated with the enhancement of the State’s real estate assets; and Assicurazioni Generali, Intesa San Paolo, Elite Spa, and AssoNEXT, which provided updates on the Italian financial market and the activities of their respective organizations capable of generating synergies with the diplomatic network.
The Internationalization of the Italian University System
On December 18, a working session dedicated to the internationalization of the Italian university system was held at the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Milan. The initiative was an important opportunity for discussion between the academic and institutional worlds, aimed at identifying concrete strategies to strengthen the international presence of universities and facilitate Italian companies’ access to foreign markets.
After a welcome address from the University Rector, Professor Elena Beccalli, who emphasized the importance of the collaboration between the University and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI), Undersecretary Tripodi underlined that universities are “engines of innovation and drivers for the development of our productive system,” highlighting their strategic role in attracting investment and strengthening competitiveness through scholarships and the creation of research networks and public-private partnerships.
Speakers included Tiziana Lippiello, Delegate for International Relations of the Conference of Italian University Rectors (CRUI); Maria Teresa Zanola, President of the University Quality Committee; and Mario Molteni, Director of the Africa Plan, who outlined the University’s many projects in Africa, a highly attractive area for the university system, particularly in light of the Mattei Plan. The event ended with contributions from several Heads of Missions, who confirmed the strategic role of the diplomatic network in supporting the internationalization process of Italian universities, particularly in identifying opportunities and critical issues in different geographical contexts.
The Foreign Ministry’s Guide to Present Opportunities in Africa is Now Online
As part of the Government’s efforts to promote the internationalization of companies, a Guide entitled “Growth Diplomacy: Destination Africa” designed for economic operators intending to do business in Africa, was distributed during the Conference and at meetings with companies.
This new tool, designed to making companies familiarize with the main public instruments supporting their expansion into foreign markets, is – as Foreign Minister Tajani stated in its foreword, “the first Business Guide dedicated to an entire continent, and it could only be for Africa.”
The Guide explores the African economic sectors of interest to Italian companies, highlights the key players of the Italian national system operating in Africa, and finally focuses on the financial tools that Institutions make available, such as support in foreign markets and for participating in calls for tenders, some of which are specifically designed for Africa.
In recent years, through organizations such as the Italian Trade Agency (ITA), SACE, Simest, CDP, and AICS, the Italian Government has doubled its efforts to strengthen Italy’s presence and the support tools available to Italian companies in African markets. In 2025, exports to the entire continent exceeded €20 billion, and Africa was included among the priority areas of the Action Plan for Italian exports to high-potential non-EU markets.
The Guide “Growth Diplomacy: Destination Africa” was drafted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI) together with Internationalia, publisher of the monthly magazine Africa e Affari and the bimonthly one Africa, in collaboration with the Aurora Ets Foundation and various players of the Italian system.
