'Southern companies ready to cooperate with Mediterranean countries'

Certainly. In this scenario, southern Italy has a very important and strategic role as an outpost. Thanks for example to its port cities, such as Naples and Taranto in the foreground. But there is also more. Maritime cities in this context are becoming increasingly important, not only because of their ports and traffic, which have always united the world, but also because they are formidable venues for encounters and crossroads between peoples and cultures that overlook our sea.

So the Mezzogiorno will play a decisive role not only because of its geographical position, but also for cultural and historical reasons. And also for industrial reasons?

Let us come to the point. The South is ripe for this mission. In southern Italy today, there is a fabric of private companies that is important in terms of number and quality. Many industrial realities have grown, are innovative, and are linked to leading Italian and foreign companies. Added to all this is a series of opportunities.

Tell us which ones.

The establishment of the SEZ, the confirmation of the tax credit, a network of universities and research centres...Or again, I am thinking of reshoring: logistics chains are changing. After the covid and war-related crises, 75% of maritime traffic has moved to the Cape of Good Hope: this makes Mediterranean countries more attractive. For example, Tunisia, where factories are springing up in the automotive sector that no longer produce simple components, but the finished product. So there is a resumption of foreign industrial investment between Africa and Italy from which the Mezzogiorno with its Zes cannot fail to benefit.

In short, the first Italian projects have been defined, the big companies are in business, the small ones are warming up their muscles.

We are very interested in the Elmed project, for example. We are waiting for the signature of the agreement between the two governments, the Italian and the Tunisian, which we hope will happen as soon as possible. The project _ entrusted to Terna _ is at an advanced stage. Another project is that of Bonifiche Ferraresi for the reclamation of a 36,000-hectare plot of land in Algeria to be used for the cultivation of durum wheat. In this case, too, medium-sized companies may be involved.

Is there anything else?

Energy is undoubtedly an area of great interest to us: Italian companies have the most innovative technologies to invest in photovoltaic systems and hydrogen production. These are ready technologies, on which we need to act now in order not to be overtaken by other investors.

What has been done?

Confindustria has brought together 85 companies in Interconnector that are ready to invest. These are small and medium-sized enterprises, very innovative and capable of competing. We are waiting for the start.