‘Public-private dialogue to meet the challenges of innovation, growth and sustainability’

Fausta Bergamotto, Under-Secretary at the Ministry of Infrastructure, Transport and Digitalisation (MIMIT), highlighted how innovation and sustainability are two inseparable components of economic development and emphasised the need to manage technological change, balancing environmental objectives with the protection of business competitiveness. This approach is based on technological neutrality, the strengthening of strategic supply chains and the reduction of industrial and energy dependencies.

The discussion was opened by the president of Remind, Paolo Crisafi,, who emphasised the need to overcome the traditional divide between innovation and sustainability. “Today, innovation and sustainability are no longer two parallel issues; they are the same national objective,” he stated, highlighting the strategic role of digital infrastructure, data security and the circular economy. “We must transform the growth of the digital market into national growth, always placing the individual, their knowledge and their awareness at the centre.”

“European digital and financial sovereignty,” emphasised Fabrizio Burlando , Chief Executive Officer and Director General of Bancomat, in his speech, “is not built by replacing the capabilities of individual countries, but by connecting them: it must be the sum of national sovereignties and their ability to collaborate. In the payments sector, this means having robust and secure national and European infrastructures and ensuring their full interoperability in order to achieve an adequate scale.”

Housing Plan and Urban Regeneration

Among the topics addressed during the Forum, particular attention was paid to housing policies and the regeneration of the housing stock, with the participation of Felice Squitieri, Special Commissioner for the ‘Piano Casa’ programme. The discussion centred on the relationship between housing needs, the availability of existing housing stock and the capacity to mobilise investment for the regeneration of buildings and local areas. The housing issue is, in fact, one of the most tangible aspects of economic and social sustainability, with implications for the affordability of housing, workers’ mobility, the attractiveness of local areas and quality of life. From this perspective, the Housing Plan serves as a forum for dialogue between public authorities, property developers, businesses and the financial sector, all of whom are called upon to identify tools capable of facilitating the construction and regeneration of housing, including through the enhancement of existing properties.

The modernisation of infrastructure is another key factor in the country’s competitiveness. Antonino Turicchi, Chairman of Autostrade per l’Italia, spoke on this topic, highlighting the strategic role of the motorway network in mobility, territorial cohesion and economic development. Central to his remarks was the need for an ongoing programme of infrastructure modernisation and maintenance, given the challenges posed by the ageing network, evolving mobility patterns and the effects of climate change. In this context, safety, technological innovation and sustainability are closely interlinked. Digitalisation and advanced monitoring systems can help improve the ability to prevent and manage risks, facilitating increasingly predictive maintenance and greater operational efficiency.

Public-private partnerships as a catalyst for investment

Finally, the Forum highlighted the need to strengthen dialogue between institutions, businesses and investors in order to turn the opportunities offered by innovation into concrete projects. From the digitalisation of public administration to the energy transition, and from scientific research to urban regeneration, there is a clear need for a strategy capable of integrating public planning, private capital and industrial expertise.