Statement by the President of Confindustria Lombardia, Alberto Ribolla

Milan, 10 November 2015 – In the current era of globalisation, wealth and prosperity go hand in hand with the competitiveness of the regions and societies in which businesses operate. Lombardy is home to world-class universities and research centres, as well as companies that compete successfully in international markets every day; for this reason, Confindustria Lombardia hopes that Nexpo will become a further driver of competitiveness.

The government’s ‘Human Technopole: Italy 2040’ project for the post-Expo site is excellent news for the future of that area and for Lombardy, particularly in the fields of technology and life sciences, where our region already boasts numerous centres of excellence. We welcome the direct involvement and national oversight of the government, which are essential to unlocking the project; however, this oversight must serve as a foundation for synergistic collaboration between the new initiative and existing structures, while taking into account the specific characteristics of the local area.

Furthermore, when determining the use of these areas and the innovation tools to be established there, we must not overlook a sector that is a key strength for Lombardy, the surrounding regions, and Italy as a whole: manufacturing. The model proposed by the government (which partially utilises the Expo site) could aggregate a range of resources that would integrate perfectly with the existing project. This would act as an accelerator for the competitiveness of our regions and businesses—building on, for example, the plans already outlined by Assolombarda and the University of Milan—by addressing additional themes such as ‘Industry 4.0’. This is the issue upon which the future of the world’s manufacturing powers, including Italy, will depend.

Attachments

• statement on post-EXPO - Ribolla - 10 November 2015.pdf