Confindustria Lombardia President Alberto Ribolla and Lombardy Governor Roberto Maroni attended the workshop on the EUSALP strategy

Brussels, 12 November 2015 – The workshop 'Alpine Macro-region: development opportunities for the Italian system', organised by the Lombardy Region and Confindustria Lombardia, was held today at the Lombardy Region's Brussels Delegation office, in the presence of representatives from the Italian economic and institutional community.

The central theme of the workshop was the discussion on the European Alpine Macro-region - EUSALP as a further driver for the growth of the Italian system and its regions, particularly regarding innovation and research. Speakers included Ambassador Stefano Sannino, Permanent Representative of Italy to the EU; Mercedes Bresso, rapporteur on the EUSALP opinion currently under discussion at the European Parliament; Confindustria Lombardia President Alberto Ribolla; and representatives from the European Commission and Cassa Depositi e Prestiti. Lombardy Region President Roberto Maroni concluded the proceedings.

"Lombardy intends to play a leading role, especially in the pillar that interests us most: innovation and economic development. Our goal is to seize every opportunity this new structure will provide from 25 January, when EUSALP officially launches in Slovenia. For example, direct engagement with the European Commission for funding and developing projects beyond regional borders," stated the President of the Lombardy Region, Roberto Maroni.

"The Alpine Macro-region represents an extraordinary opportunity and a dual challenge: bringing regions together and involving the business world," said the President of Lombardy, the lead region for those participating in EUSALP. "Within the Assolombarda strategic plan, '50 projects to relaunch businesses' and beyond, there are many important ideas and initiatives that the regions belonging to the European Alpine Macro-region can leverage and bring to the attention of European institutions to secure the resources and support that have been lacking until now."

"Lombardy is an example of excellence in the use of European funds. We secured 60 per cent more in the new programming period because we spent them well," Maroni noted. "Before spending them well, one must know how to obtain them, and the goal of the Macro-region is precisely to pool common strategies among all involved Italian regions to convince Europe to provide the resources it currently does not. As President of Lombardy, I want to lead this initiative," concluded Maroni.

"The development of business competitiveness cannot be separated from the development and competitiveness of the territories and society in which they operate. The success of the Macro-region will inevitably be the result of the link between businesses and territories: this is a premise that the EUSALP Strategy and European Union development policies must adopt. This is a fundamental step in the #Lombardia2030 strategic plan, Confindustria Lombardia's proposal for a region in synergy with neighbouring territories and strongly integrated into the European context," declared Confindustria Lombardia President Alberto Ribolla.

"For our territories to become increasingly competitive," continues Ribolla, "we must focus on the excellence of our manufacturing sector as a driver of development, growth, innovation, and well-being. The new era of manufacturing will be characterised by agile and interconnected companies that skilfully use and analyse information, employing talent and machinery to provide products and services in a diverse global market. The EUSALP Macro-region must be a major functional area for this objective to build a truly intelligent industry."

"We must activate multi-level governance that ensures effective inter-territorial coordination and defines project aspects, financial instruments, and regulations by involving all public and private stakeholders. To do this, it is necessary to give the Macro-region recognition, drawing inspiration from the best practices of measures already tested for other macro-regions. Only then can EUSALP aspire to become a space capable of attracting intelligence and innovation: ideas, capital, people, and goods to generate development," proposed Alberto Ribolla.

Attachments

• Eusalp press release - 12 Nov 2015.pdf