The “Italy for Business Road Show” comes to Sicily. The 21st event in the programme conceived by the “Control Panel for International Italy”, has just ended.
Over 220 companies present
Over 220 companies from the agri-food, construction, electronics, textile and engineering sectors attended the road show. Hosted by the Sheraton in Aci Castello, the event included a plenary session with guests from the institutional and financial communities. Participants included the Deputy Minister for Economic Development, Carlo Calenda; the Secretary General of the Farnesina, Ambassador Michele Valensise; Linda Vancheri, economic Councillor from Sicily Region; and Roberto Rizzo, from Catania Chamber of Commerce.
A unique opportunity for direct dialogue with local businesses
The event included a technical session introduced and moderated by Vincenzo De Luca, Principal Director for the Internationalisation of the Country System at the Farnesina. This was followed by presentations by Riccardo Monti, President of ICE-Italian Trade Agency; Fabrizio Ferrari, from SACE; and Massimo D’Aiuto of SIMEST.
“For the Farnesina, this initiative is a unique opportunity for direct dialogue with local businesses and institutions, in the conviction that the better we know Italy, with all its diversity and complexities, the better we can represent it abroad” underscored Ambassador Valensise.
“System Italy” meets the business community
This is the first time that all of the institutions of “System Italy” have acted together at the local level to meet businesses and illustrate the instruments available to support them in their internationalisation process, including through targeted individual meetings.
Over 4700 companies have taken part in the first 20 road show events. They have been able to meet experts from ICE and all the partner organisations to identify individual internationalisation strategies and the instruments available to help them enter foreign markets.
The goal, as the “Control Panel for International Italy” has stated on more than one occasion, is to help increase in concrete terms the opportunities for growth for the Italian economic system by helping 22,000 companies take their first steps to internationalisation. This will be achieved through initiatives like the Road Show and the instruments made available by the special plan to promote the “Made in Italy” brand.
Ability to enter foreign markets a key factor for business growth, says Valensise
For companies seeking to enter foreign markets “The Farnesina and our network of embassies and consulates support businesses in their relations with local institutions and work with them to guide their choice of market”, explained Ambassador Valensise. He reminded road show attendees that “one of the key factors for business growth is the ability to enter foreign markets with good prospects for development”.
