Port of La Spezia, operators ready: 'Opportunities come from Africa'

"Relations between La Spezia and Africa date back to the 1970s, thanks to far-sighted operators who consolidated trade relations". This was explained by Federica Montaresi, extraordinary commissioner of the Eastern Ligurian Sea Port Authority, who emphasised how these relations continue "also through innovative projects, with the aim of facilitating trade with North African ports". Last year, he added, "22% of La Spezia's imports came from North Africa, particularly Algeria. While, in exports, North Africa accounted for 13% of volumes, with 835 thousand tonnes of various goods and containers".

At the Italian level, trade with the African continent is worth a total of 59 billion euro, 20 billion of which in exports; and national initiatives aim to ensure that Italian companies participate in economic growth, with new paradigms based on partnership, investment in the real economy, and innovation. The Mattei Plan, for its part, also envisages investments in renewables, especially in photovoltaics, for example with Tunisia, through a division of the energy generated, between local use and export, via submarine cable, to our country.

Even in typically Western systems, such as that of start-ups, Africa is showing positive signs. From the partnership programmes, it emerges, for example - it was pointed out in La Spezia, during the meeting A Bridge to Africa - that the quality of the innovators' proposals is very high; an important circumstance, above all because it indicates that the underlying fabric of skills is robust and can therefore provide Italian companies with the level of human resources necessary for qualified productive investments.

For its part, the port and logistics system of La Spezia and Marina di Carrara, which includes not only the Adsp, but also the private operators who helped organise the international meeting (Contship, Dario Perioli, Fhp, Grendi, Laghezza, Lca and Tarros) is unanimous. According to administrators and entrepreneurs, 'opportunities and lessons must be learnt from North Africa, integrating ports and special production-logistics areas (such as Zes and Zls in Italy) and improving the efficiency of port operations. Tanger Med, for example, is fourth in the world ranking estimated by the World Bank, out of 405 ports globally'.

There is, argues Gian Luca Agostinelli, president of the International Propeller Club Ports of La Spezia and Marina di Carrara, "a La Spezia and Marina di Carrara model, pioneering a new relationship with North Africa, which not only highlights its economic opportunities, but also promotes a system of cooperation based on a historical dialogue between the two shores of the Mediterranean. Our entrepreneurial fabric represents a guide for Italian companies interested in these markets. The support of the Mattei Plan offers an important boost; but only through the sharing of know-how and best practices can we build lasting cooperation and shared wealth. It will be crucial to focus on cultural dialogue and the adoption of sustainable practices, with careful monitoring of social, environmental and governance impacts'.