Minister of Foreign Affairs Antonio Tajani took part today, at the MAXXI Museum in Rome, in the final day of the conference ‘Cities of the Future 2030-2050’, organised by ANCE.
In his speech, Tajani emphasised the importance of addressing the issue of housing and referred to the Housing Plan, which provides for the use of 60,000 public housing units and the construction of 100,000 new homes for the so-called ‘grey bracket’. The Minister also highlighted the need to reduce the cost of raw materials in order to boost competitiveness, referring to the international agreements promoted by Italy, most recently the memorandum on critical minerals signed with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in New York; the similar agreement with Argentina; and the forthcoming agreement on critical raw materials to be signed with the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Tajani also highlighted the opportunities that the ongoing opening up of the Venezuelan market may offer to Italian construction companies.
55.5% of the turnover of ANCE member companies is generated abroad, amounting to over EUR 116 billion in ongoing international contracts. At the initiative of Minister Tajani, ANCE is now also involved in business missions, business forums and initiatives to promote Italian expertise in the urban and infrastructure sectors, including within the framework of the Round Table on Urban Regeneration set up by the Ministry.
Against this backdrop, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is working with the Italian Trade Agency, ANCE, OICE and other partners on the “Urbana – The Italian Hub for Resilient Cities” project, which is scheduled to take place in Venice during the 2027 Architecture Biennale. The initiative aims to raise the international profile of the entire Italian urban regeneration sector – from architecture to engineering, from construction to design – through exhibitions and meetings with Italian and international professionals and stakeholders.
