North-West: 3 million interregional funding scheme for the energy sector
For the first time, the measure has been developed jointly by the regions of Liguria, Lombardy and Piedmont
Three million to support the energy industry supply chain in the North-West. The measure was developed jointly by the regions of Liguria, Lombardy and Piedmont and is the first of its kind at an inter-regional level. The announcement was made during the North-West Economic Forum, which brought together institutions and local stakeholders from the energy sector in Genoa, in collaboration with Ansaldo Energia. During the meeting, attention was also drawn to Liguria’s bid – supported by the regional government – to host the headquarters of the forthcoming national nuclear agency.
As explained by Alessio Piana, Guido Guidesi and Andrea Tronzano – councillors for Economic Development in Liguria, Lombardy and Piedmont respectively – the call for proposals will provide a range of tools designed to support technologies on their journey from research to practical industrial application. Interregional partnerships comprising a minimum of five and a maximum of eight entities will be eligible to participate, with the mandatory inclusion of at least one large enterprise, at least one SME from each of the three regions, and at least one research organisation.
“The aim,” the three councillors explained, “is to foster the creation of value chains by bringing together the expertise of large companies, the innovative capacity of SMEs and the wealth of knowledge held by research organisations.” The launch of the call for proposals, they added, “gives concrete form to the North-West Economic Forum, launched by Liguria, Lombardy and Piedmont in 2023. This initiative stems from the conviction that, in the face of the major industrial transformations we are currently experiencing, competing together in strategic sectors – such as the energy industry – by setting aside parochialism and thinking collectively from a supply-chain perspective, can make our regions more competitive on the international stage».
“Cooperation between our regions,” commented the Energy Councillors for Liguria, Lombardy and Piedmont – Paolo Ripamonti, Massimo Sertori and Matteo Marnati – “enables us to pool expertise, industrial capacity and innovation in a sector that is crucial to the competitiveness of our regions. Strengthening the energy sector means creating new opportunities for businesses and supporting the development of strategic technologies for the future.”
