Projecting Venetian Excellence

The ‘Born in Venice’ event is aimed at making the region the world capital of sustainability

The Veneto region, its Chambers of Commerce and Confindustria Venezia (the entrepreneurial system) took center stage in Dubai for the ‘Born in Venice’ event, held on March 23.

The initiative is financed and implemented by the Veneto Region and included in the 10/2019 project as part of the ‘Programme for the economic promotion and interna-tionalisation of Veneto companies’. Entrusted to the Chambers of Commerce of Venice Rovigo, Padua and Treviso, and Belluno- Dolomiti, the event was organised in partnership with Confindustria Venezia and created with the support of ‘Venicepromex’ and the Italian Industry and Commerce Office in the UAE.

During the meeting, the welcome greetings of Giuseppe Finocchiaro, Consul General of Italy in Dubai were followed by the interventions of leading figures of the Venetian entrepreneurial community, including Roberto Marcato, Councilor for Economic Development and Energy of the Region, Antonella Scardino, Secretary-General of the Port System Authority of the Northern Adriatic Sea, Ivano Ilardo, Senior Business Advisor, EY Italia, Francesca Nieddu, Regional Director of Banca Intesa San-paolo Veneto Orientale and Friuli Venezia Giulia. The event was concluded with a speech by Vincenzo Marinese, President of Confindustria Venezia.

At the heart of the event was the presentation of investment opportunities in the region between Venice and Rovigo and its precious resources. To offer a detailed overview, prestigious multinationals such as Alkeemia and Edison shared the details of their business experience in the Veneto region. In fact, the metropolitan area of Ven-ice and Rovigo represents an important hub for many sectors, from ship-building to automotive, from agri-food to aerospace, and last but not least, the petrochemical sector, one of the largest and most advanced in the region. A dynamic scenario is demonstrated by the various assets of this land in which approximately 92,000 companies are located, employing over 370,000 employees and having an aggregate turnover of 7.2 billion euros.

The importance, in terms of business, of this area is not limited solely to industries but makes use above all of a strong strategic position, which has always been exploited by the port of Venice.

The Venetian maritime supremacy has been well-known since the time of Marco Polo and the journeys along the Silk Road, thus bridging countless markets, different cultures, and continents.

At the core of two EU corridors, the Baltic-Adriatic and the Mediterranean, the Ven-ice port is improving its nautical accessibility and energy transition through several actions financed by the National Plan for Recovery and Resilience, which has proved to be a central element for the regional growth of logistics and settlements and which is also guiding Venice towards ecological transition. The aim is to make the area the centre of renewable energy as emerged from the testimonies of two multinational companies that are based in Porto Marghera. Alkeemia, represented by CEO Lorenzo Di Donato, aims to become the leading producer in Europe of lithium salts for batteries. Edison is involved in the refurbishment of the Marghera Levante thermo-electric plant into a modern, state-of-the-art plant that can also be partly powered by hydrogen with a significant reduction in CO2 emissions, as explained by Valeria Olivieri, Director of Strategy and Corporate Development.

In this view, developing connections with the UAE is becoming more and more of fundamental importance, to exchange knowledge and shape further projects. The harbors’ net, the transport network, and the airport system configures this area as a fertile land for further investments, able to attract business and foster commercial relations with different interlocutors, from all over the world.

We asked Vincenzo Marinese, President of Confindustria Venezia to express some comments on the event that has just ended.

President Marinese, why did the second stage of Born in Venice take place in Dubai?

Dubai plays a key role in terms of investments in urban transformation and the development of technologies for production from renewable sources, such as hydrogen. It is an articulated process that cannot be completed in a few years and on which the industrial fabric of Venice has been working for some time with excellent results. In this context, the second stage of the ‘Born in Venice‘ international roadshow takes place, followed by the one held in Venice with online participants from Frankfurt.

Will this mission be able to give continuity to the relationships created on the spot?

Today's event is the first step. We need perseverance, exchange of information, commitment on the part of the Chambers of Commerce. We need to intensify the work and avoid it being an initiative for its own sake. Today, we have ignited a curiosity, tomorrow we are going to create a structured system that allows us to collaborate.

Do you, therefore, envisage a further mission here in Dubai?

Absolutely yes, we also want it to involve many entrepreneurs, especially from the nautical sector. Today, we are in Dubai to attract new partners interested in combining their skills with the long manufacturing tradition that characterises us. The goal is to bring the supply chains closer, make them shorter and more sustainable and create value in our territory.

We are working on very important projects for Venice and the entire area of the metropolitan city. We intend to make Venice the world capital of sustainability. We are working to ensure that the lagoon capital and Veneto become the centre of the development of renewable energy and from this perspective, links with the UAE are fundamental.