Lombardy Region and Invitalia together for business development

(Il Sole 24 Ore Radiocor) - The Lombardy Region and Invitalia, the national development agency, have signed a protocol of understanding with the aim of strengthening the competitiveness of Lombardy's economic system, supporting the growth of enterprises and fostering the attractiveness of the region. The agreement was signed by the Regional Councillor for Economic Development, Guido Guidesi, and by Bernardo Mattarella, CEO of Invitalia. Underlying it is the desire to pool the skills and tools of the two institutions, with the aim of enhancing Lombardy's entrepreneurial potential and promoting the attractiveness of the region, through joint initiatives in the areas of innovation, training, technology transfer and business support.

In particular, among the strategic areas covered by the protocol are the Innovation and Development Zones (Zis). In favour of this innovative model, the Lombardy Region and Invitalia will work together to enhance local ecosystems and identify sources of national and European co-financing. Specific attention will also be paid to the birth and development of start-ups and new enterprises, with facilitation services, acceleration paths, and the promotion of entrepreneurial initiatives within the Zis. In addition, the agreement provides for joint actions to foster industrial development, the strengthening of production chains, the regeneration of strategic areas, and the attraction of high-impact investments. Collaboration on projects related to European and national funds completes the picture, with the aim of increasing funding opportunities and strengthening the area's planning capacity.

"This collaboration is part of a strategic framework aimed at further strengthening the regional production ecosystem," said Councillor Guido Guidesi, explaining that "with Invitalia we share the objective of creating the best conditions for attracting investment, increasing the competitiveness of sectoral supply chains and existing companies, and encouraging the emergence of new businesses. From this perspective, the agreement signed is also a fundamental step towards achieving a crucial objective: supporting the capitalisation of companies, facilitating their access to credit and supporting investment. Lombardy is already a reference point at international level, and with these synergies we want to guarantee continuity in innovation, accompanying the regional economic system on a path of solid, stable and sustainable growth'.

"Invitalia is one of the main actors involved in the implementation of public policies aimed at the economic growth of the country. In 2024 it supported over 62.000 companies and contributed to activating almost 17 billion euros of investment between public and private," recalled Bernardo Mattarella, CEO of Invitalia, indicating that, "in this context, the protocol with the Lombardy Region allows us to consolidate mutual cooperation and actions to best support a strategic area for development, the competitiveness and growth of the country, creating synergies between regional and national measures and supporting Lombardy's businesses and productive realities with a particular focus on start-ups and innovative SMEs, on complex industrial projects also with a view to strengthening production chains, and on regeneration and accompanying interventions for high-impact productive investments".