A motorway as a growth engine for the region

(Il Sole 24 Ore Radiocor)- The Brenner Motorway is not only a transit route between Italy and Europe, but an economic and social engine of development for Northern Italy and an essential bridge between the Mediterranean and Central Europe. Its strategic position along the axis of the Scandinavian-Mediterranean corridor makes it a fundamental infrastructure for the mobility of people and goods, but also a key element in the economic and social development of the territories it crosses.

The A22 passes through economically dynamic regions such as Lombardy, Emilia-Romagna, Veneto and Trentino-Alto Adige, acting as an engine for the growth of local production districts. It is, to all intents and purposes, the most important district in terms of added value in the whole of Europe, since it is made up of Lombardy, which is the first region in the European ranking in terms of GDP, Veneto, which is sixth, and Emilia-Romagna, which is eighth: there is in fact no other area in Europe with 20 million inhabitants capable of producing this added value. Motorways, in this scenario, certainly play an important role. Thanks to its connections with other motorways (A1 and A4), the A22 facilitatesthe export of manufacturing companies to the markets of Northern Europe; the import of raw materials and intermediate products and integrated logistics, favouring the creation of intermodal poles such as those of Verona, Trento and Bolzano. Suffice it to say that approximately 11% of the entire national export passes through the Brenner Pass and over 60 million tonnes of goods transit between road and rail. In addition, the Brenner Motorway generates direct economic value through revenues, investments and maintenance, and indirect value through its role as a strategic artery for the local and national economy. To give a numerical dimension, last year value creation exceeded 561 million euros while core revenues amounted to 556.672 million. 

The motorway also generates employment value directly and indirectly. In the first case through management, maintenance and services related to the company; indirectly through the growth of the logistics, tourism and commercial sectors in the areas surrounding the motorway toll stations. Municipalities such as Rovereto, Trento Nord and Egna-Ora have seen industrial zones and logistics centres spring up precisely because of their proximity to the A22, which becomes an attractive driver for investment and the establishment of new businesses.

In addition to freight transport, the A22 plays a strategic role for Alpine and cultural tourism. Thousands of visitors from Austria, Germany and the Netherlands use it every year to reach the tourist resorts in Trentino, South Tyrol and Lake Garda. In 2024 alone, the number of vehicles using the motorway infrastructure exceeded 70 million while the number of trains operated by railway companies was almost 30,000.