With the aim of highlighting the role of Italian industry and competitiveness and of finetuning the image of our Country, which is often stereotyped, an event was held at the Prague Parliament with the attendance of almost one hundred Czech MPs in addition to Italian and Czech personalities from the world of institutions and business. “Italy, a strategic partner for the Czech Republic” is the event promoted by the Inter-Parliamentary Friendship Group between the Czech Republic and Italy, in cooperation with the Italian Embassy in Prague and the Italian-Czech Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
The event opened with remarks by Vojtech Munzar, the President of the Czech Republic-Italy Inter-Parliamentary Friendship Group, who underscored the solid ties between the Czech Republic and Italy at cultural, social and economic level, recalling some of the themes that were the focus of the recent meeting in Rome between Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte and Andrej Babis. In particular, he reaffirmed the importance that the two governments give to respectively setting up economic missions in each other’s Country and to the need to establish a cooperation in the defence sector.
Ambassador Aldo Amati spoke of the contribution made to the development of the Czech economy by Italian investments over the past few years and the President of the Italian-Czech Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Gianfranco Pinciroli, highlighted the role that the Chamber plays in actively supporting and promoting bilateral relations. However, he also mentioned some of the critical points – such as the shortage of labour and the excessively burdensome administrative procedures – that continue to limit the potential of Italian companies.
Federico Bernardi, the First Secretary at the Embassy, illustrated the potential assets of the Italian manufacturing sector, its points of excellence in terms of energy efficiency and environmental sustainability, the national “Industry 4.0” Plan and the high competitiveness of Italian fashion, pharmacological, wood and interior design products and machinery on international markets. The Secretary General of the Chamber of Commerce, Matteo Mariani, presented an overview of the excellent state of bilateral economic and commercial relations (spearheaded by the machinery and automotive sectors) and of the presence of Italian businesses in the Czech Republic, recalling that Italy’s export volumes to the Czech Republic match those directed to India, Brazil and South Africa taken together. The event continued with the presentation of the success stories of Italian companies such as Karlovarské Minerální Vody, a leader in the production of mineral water and soft drinks in the Czech Republic, and SAB Aerospace, a company headquartered in Benevento that has a plant in Brno for the production of mini-satellite launchers as part of the VEGA project, IVECO that, through its Moravia-based plant, produces 44% of the totality of new city buses in Europe, and Runczech, a project of Neapolitan entrepreneur Carlo Capalbo, the promoter of the first Prague Marathon in 1995 and the designer of the calendar of numerous race walking and running competitions valid for the IAAF international ranking. Last but not least, AhRCOS, the company that presented its recent restoration work of the Chapel of Italians in Prague.
