Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani opened the second leg of “Objective Export” yesterday in Bari, at the Fiera del Levante. This is the lead-up to the National Export Conference scheduled for Milan in December. The initiative is dedicated to businesses in Southern Italy, which in 2025 exported goods worth €48.2 billion, equal to 7.5% of national exports.
The Conference has been attended by over 500 business representatives, and over 500 meetings between companies and the Italian System have been organized. Ten Heads of the trade offices of Italian embassies, six Directors of the Italian Trade Agency’s offices, and 28 experts from ICE, SACE, SIMEST, and CDP were present, with the aim of fostering new export and internationalisation opportunities for local businesses. The works focused on export support tools, the contribution of Southern Italy’s regions to the country’s international growth, and the role of startups, innovative SMEs, and large companies in the development of technology supply chains. Growth workshops focused on cultural enterprises and innovation.
During the day, the Minister also inaugurated the new SIMEST office in Bari. Over the last three years, SIMEST has approved 1,208 operations for businesses in Southern Italy, worth a total of €333 million, through Fund 394/81. During the same period, 20 equity investment operations in Southern Italy were also approved, worth a total of €35.8 million.
