Regions bring wealth and variety to Japan
Fedriga (Conference of Regions): 'The Expo is a unique opportunity that we must exploit by building on our strengths. The objective is to help companies establish relations with new partners
by Marco Morino
4' min read
4' min read
At the Osaka Expo, which starts today, the Italian Pavilion will reserve a large exhibition space for the Regions in which to tell the world about the richness, variety and excellence of their respective territories: from agrifood to science, from fashion to technology, from design to research. With a common trait: tourism. Each Italian region boasts a historical, cultural and artistic heritage that deserves to be enhanced on the international stage. And the Oska Expo represents a unique and unmissable opportunity for visibility. A global stage for the integrated promotion of Sistema Paese and Made in Italy in the Asia-Pacific area.
This is the spirit that led to the cooperation agreement signed between the Conference of Regions and Autonomous Provinces and the Commissioner General for Italy at the Osaka Expo, Ambassador Mario Vattani: 18 of the 20 Italian regions have already confirmed their participation in the event. Massimiliano Fedriga, President of Friuli-Venezia Giulia and President of the Conference of the Regions, says: "The agreement makes it possible to facilitate and plan, for the second time after the Dubai Expo, the coordinated participation of the Regions, with a vision of Italy as a country, while enhancing the individual peculiarities of each territory. Osaka is an important showcase,' Fedriga continued, 'that we must make the most of, starting from our strengths and the ability to plan together a future, including an international one, for the Italian Regions.
The first territorial event hosted by the Italian Pavilion will actually not be organised by a region but by the City of Venice, with the conference on the Lagoon, ports and sustainability scheduled for tomorrow at 4 pm (8 am in Italy). Participants include: Fulvio Lino Di Blasio, president of the Port System Authority; Roberto Rossetto, president of the Lagoon Authority; and Renato Brunetta, general director of the Venice Sustainability Capital Foundation. 'Let's build relationships,' says the Mayor of Venice, Luigi Brugnaro.
And we come to the regional initiatives. The Abruzzo Region will have its own dedicated space in the Italian Pavilion from 15 to 21 June 2025. According to the President of the Region, Marco Marsilio, 'not only tourism with its ancient villages and alternative itineraries, but also craftsmanship, food and wine, research and innovation will be our visiting cards in Japan. Symbolic products, such as truffles, will become ambassadors of the quality and biodiversity of Abruzzo's agricultural and food heritage.
Regione Liguria will be present in Osaka from 29 June to 5 July. An exhibition space dedicated to the region's artistic excellence will be set up in the Italian Pavilion, and during the week there will be presentations of Liguria's food and wine products. Great attention will be paid to tourism: a rapidly developing market, given that in 2023 Japanese tourists in Liguria grew by 64% compared to 2022. Moreover, all Ligurian enterprises will have free access to the institutional representation spaces for B2B meetings.
