Lecco, 14 October 2026 – The third stage of the roadshow organised by Confindustria Lombardia and the Consular Corps of Milan and Lombardy took place today at the Lecco Territorial Campus of the Politecnico di Milano. “Business and Diplomacy in the Lombardy Territories” organised in collaboration with Confindustria Como and Confindustria Lecco and Sondrio.

The meeting provided an opportunity to present the excellence of the Como, Lecco and Sondrio regions to the international representatives in attendance, with a particular focus on the value contributed by the manufacturing industry in the specific field of research and innovation.

The President of the Small Industry division of Confindustria Lombardia, Claudia Sartiraninoted that “at today’s meeting, Confindustria Lombardia had the opportunity to demonstrate to the consular representatives how Lombard companies, and our SMEs in particular, are capable of navigating contemporary complexity despite global difficulties and uncertainties. Following the record exports of 2025, with 167 billion euros worth of goods exported, Lombardy has already reached 85.7 billion euros in the first half of 2026, offering hope for another record-breaking year for our international trade. Initiatives such as the roadshow with the Consular Corps, as well as the upcoming World Manufacturing Forum, are united by the commitment and desire to support Lombard businesses during a phase of great economic, energy and geopolitical uncertainty, to ensure our manufacturing system a future defined by competitiveness and global recognition.”

For the Dean of the Consular Corps of Milan and Lombardy, Veronica Crego Porley “the value of a meeting such as today’s lies, first and foremost, in the possibility of connecting worlds that, despite having different functions and perspectives, share an essential element: the conviction that mutual knowledge forms the foundation of every lasting relationship. In my view, this is the deepest meaning of the project that brings us together today. The dialogue between the Consular Corps and the business system of Como, Lecco and Sondrio, with its multiple production specialisations and a marked propensity for innovation, represents not only an opportunity for knowledge, but also an occasion to explore the ways in which international relations can foster the meeting of different skills, experiences and economic cultures.”

Marco Campanari, President of Confindustria Lecco and Sondrio, stated in his opening remarks: “I would like to thank the Consular Corps of Milan and Lombardy, and in particular the Dean, Verónica Crego Porley, for their valuable presence today, which honours us and gives us the opportunity to further weave the network of relationships between our territory, its businesses and the research and innovation system, and the official representatives of numerous countries. Being at the Lecco Territorial Campus of the Politecnico di Milano allows us to give this meeting an institutional focus and value that is not only precious in itself, but also concrete. Today, senior representatives of international diplomacy will be able to see at close quarters a jewel in the crown not only of our territory, but of the entire Italian research and innovation system, a symbol of our potential thanks to the combination of these two factors—research and innovation—and manufacturing, which are accustomed to working together as a system. This potential, which is already finding expression and generating significant results today, will be further developed, not least thanks to the recent approval of the ZIS HRL - Healthcare, Rehabilitation and Longevity, which has its epicentre right here in Lecco.”

For the Vice President of Confindustria Como, Walter Pozzi: “It is a source of great satisfaction to have collaborated on the realisation of this stage of the roadshow at the Territorial Campus of the Politecnico di Milano. The presence of the Consular Corps represents a particularly significant opportunity for our territory; the dialogue between production systems and the institutions representing different countries is taking on an increasingly strategic value. Como is a territory strongly oriented towards exports and openness to international markets. Our companies operate daily in global markets, investing in innovation, sustainability and skills. For this reason, we consider the discussion with diplomatic and consular representatives a valuable opportunity to strengthen relationships, develop new collaborations and better understand the dynamics that are redefining international economic scenarios.”

During the round table moderated by Il Sole 24 Ore journalist Luca Orlando, the Director of the Digital Innovation Hub of Confindustria Lombardia, Pierluigi Petrali, illustrated the state of regional innovation: in 2025, Lombardy, with 1,352 applications, confirmed its position as the leading Italian region for patent activity and is the second region, after Lazio, in terms of participation in the 2021-27 EU Research programmes, with 2,224 participants and €914 million in EU funding received. Furthermore, according to Digital Innovation Hub data, Lombardy and the greater Como-Lecco-Sondrio area show an average digital maturity higher than the national average (3.02 for Lombardy, 3.02 for the greater area, and 2.81 for Italy).

The final part of the roadshow stage was dedicated to a visit to the campus and research laboratories of the Lecco Territorial Campus of the Politecnico di Milano.

The meeting was attended by: Marco Campanari, President of Confindustria Lecco and Sondrio, Walter Pozzi, Vice President of Confindustria Como, Veronica Crego Porley, Dean of the Consular Corps of Milan and Lombardy, Claudia Sartirani, President of PI Confindustria Lombardia, Marco Tarabini, Pro-Rector of the Lecco Territorial Campus – Politecnico di Milano, Ezio Vergani, President of the Como-Lecco Chamber of Commerce, Pierluigi Petrali, Director of Digital Innovation Hub Lombardia.

EXPORT AND INNOVATION DATA FOR THE PROVINCE OF COMO:

• The province of Como has a strong focus on internationalisation and in 2025 achieved exports of over €6.2 billion, against imports totalling approximately €4 billion;
• Regarding the 2025 data, the main destination countries for Como's exports globally are Germany (1st place with approximately €967 million, 15.5% of total exports for the half-year), France (2nd place with €747 million, equal to 12% of total exports), Switzerland (3rd place with approximately €609 million, 9.8% of total exports), the United States (4th place with €458 million, 7.4% of total exports), and Spain (5th place with approximately €351 million, 5.6% of total exports);

Como's exports primarily concern the Textilessector, whose products account for over one-fifth of total exports (€1.28 billion, equal to over 20% of the total), and the Chemical and Rubber sector (€1.14 billion, equal to over 18% of the total);

The Como area also demonstrates a strong propensity for innovation. Considering the landscape available according to the databases of the Italian Patent and Trademark Office (UIBM) and with specific reference to patents for inventions, utility models, and designs, and examining only "granted" documents per 100,000 inhabitants, the Como area has an index of 120.1 Intellectual Property documents per 100,000 inhabitants.

EXPORT AND INNOVATION DATA FOR THE PROVINCES OF LECCO AND SONDRIO:

The provincial territories of Lecco and Sondrio have a strong focus oninternationalisation and in 2025 recorded exports of over €7.4 billion, against imports that stood at approximately €4 billion. Examining the most recent data, in the first six months of 2026, exports from Lecco amounted to €3.47 billion , an increase of 10% compared to the first half of 2025, while exports from Sondrio stood at approximately half a billion € (€495 million);

Regarding imports, the Lecco territory purchased goods and services worth approximately €1.77 billion between January and June 2026, while the figure for Sondrio stood at €393 million,

• Still with reference to the data for the first half of 2026, the main export destination countries for Lecco and Sondrio considered globally are Germany (in 1st place with over approximately €549 million, 13.9% of total exports for the half-year), followed by Switzerland (2nd position with 444 million, equal to 11.3% of total exports), from France (3rd position with approximately €361 million, 9.2% of total exports), from the United States (4th position with 279 million, 7.1% of total exports) and from Taiwan (5th position with approximately €270 million, 6.8% of total exports).  

Exports from Lecco and Sondrio primarily concern the sectors of Mechanics and Mechatronics, whose products account for a share of over two-thirds of total exports (€2.67 billion, equal to 67.9% of the total). Further sectors of importance for exports concern Food and Beverages (€349 million, equal to 8.9% of the total), Textiles (178 million, equal to 4.5% of the total) and the Rubber, Plastic, Chemical and Pharmaceutical sectors (170 million, equal to 4.3% of the total);

• The Lecco and Sondrio areas also demonstrate a strong propensity forinnovation. Considering the landscape available according to the databases of the Italian Patent and Trademark Office (UIBM) and with specific reference to patents for inventions, utility models, and designs, and examining only “granted” documents per 100,000 inhabitants, the Lecco area has an index of 88.6 intellectual property documents per 100,000 inhabitants, and the Sondrio area has an index of 65.3 intellectual property documents per 100,000 inhabitants; the Lombardy average, by contrast, stands at 612 intellectual property documents per 100,000 inhabitants.