Investing in Lombardy means focusing on the innovation of the whole country

The debate on the future programming of the European budget 2028-2034 is currently focused on the possible overcoming of the direct management of cohesion funds by the regions, with a centralisation at state level along the lines of the NRP model. The subject of the discussion between the Commission and the European Parliament is anything but technical. It is an issue that touches the heart of Europe's development model, because it concerns the way in which public resources that are fundamental for growth, competitiveness and territorial cohesion are invested. Let me remind you that one third of the EU budget is earmarked precisely for cohesion funds: an important share designed to reduce economic and social disparities, as well as to support the balanced development of Europe's regions.

Today, territorial governance in Lombardy is effective for the timely and targeted deployment of resources thanks to knowledge of the economic fabric, real needs and unexpressed potential. The Region, in the 2021-2027 programming period, can count on 3.5 billion euro of ERDF and ESF+ funds, of which an estimated 1.7 billion just in the Assolombarda 'quadrilateral', formed by Milan, Monza Brianza, Lodi and Pavia. To date, EUR 1.2 billion have been used regionally, of which about EUR 600 million in the area represented by the Association; two-thirds of the resources remain to be allocated effectively.

This means that we are in the midst of the operational phase and that every choice on the management of funds can have a direct impact on the capacity of territories to grow and innovate. It is precisely the issue of innovation that we are most concerned about; therefore, the current revision of the programming of the ERDF funds, more oriented towards supporting research, is positive for us. Currently, only a portion of the cohesion funds is actually allocated to finance this crucial asset for companies: in our 'quadrilateral', about a quarter of the resources deployed so far have gone to support companies' research and development projects.

This is an element on which to concentrate efforts and resources: innovation and digital are the main drivers of competitiveness, especially today when we have to govern a real revolution linked to the advent of artificial intelligence, enabling our territories to remain protagonists in the global scenario. Investing in Milan, Monza Brianza, Lodi and Pavia means focusing on the innovation of the whole country. Moreover, the numbers speak for themselves: the Assolombarda area, which represents less than 2% of the national territory, concentrates more than 13.3% of Italian GDP and 18.4% of companies' R& D spending (EUR 2.9 billion per year). In particular, the 'quadrilateral' generates almost 60% of regional GDP and 73% of business R&D expenditure, having a significant scientific and industrial base. Here, in fact, 20% of national patents are concentrated, 22% of innovative start-ups and 9 universities and numerous frontier research centres operate, including Human Technopole and 17 Scientific Hospitalization and Treatment Institutes.

These data show that a decisive part of Italy's future is at stake in our area. This is why we must avoid standardising different needs, slowing down timetables, and weakening local development levers, penalising the most dynamic areas of the country, with damage that would then affect the entire Italian system. This is what, among other things, may also happen with regard to the zonal prices of electricity, which, varying from area to area, depending on current conditions, risk being higher precisely in areas with higher industrial intensity, penalising them.