Trento Economy Festival kicks off 20th edition

From 22 to 25 May the 20th edition dedicated to the theme 'Risks and fatal choices. Europe at the crossroads'.

21 May 2025

5' min read

A special edition celebrating 20 years of the Festival and 160 years of Il Sole 24 Ore looking at the future of Europe.

6 Nobel Prize winners, 17 ministers, 107 speakers from the academic world, 45 national and international economists, 66 representatives of national and European institutions, 61 managers and entrepreneurs.

Over four days, more than 300 events with the 'Fuori Festival', 'Economie dei Territori' and 'Incontri con l'Autore' initiatives.

It will be a special edition that from 22 to 25 May 2025 will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Trento Festival of Economics, an event that has grown and renewed itself over the years, thanks also to the new formula devised by the 24 ORE Group together with Trentino Marketing in the role of organisers on behalf of the Autonomous Province of Trento and with the contribution of the Municipality of Trento and the University of Trento.

Making the 20th anniversary edition of the Festival even more precious is the fact that this year Trento will also be hosting the first of the initiatives designed to celebrate Il Sole 24 Ore's 160th anniversary.

"Risks and Fatal Choices. Europe at the crossroads" is the theme of the 2025 edition of the Festival, on which the brightest minds of the national and international academic world (107), economists (45), Nobel Prize winners (6), representatives of institutions (66), Government Ministers (17) and the economic and financial business community (61) will be debating. A topic of pressing topical interest, chosen by the event's Advisory Board, chaired by the Editor-in-Chief of Il Sole 24 Ore and Chairman of the Scientific Committee Fabio Tamburini and comprising Elena Beccalli, Marco Fortis, Paolo Magri, Emma Marcegaglia, Giulio Sapelli and Giulio Tremonti.

The Festival opens the doors of the 2025 edition with a first day full of not-to-be-missed appointments: Thursday 22 May will feature five ministers, two Nobel Prize winners and two great entrepreneurs. The event will be opened by the Minister for Disabilities Alessandra Locatelli, who will take part in the dialogue "Social conflicts, crisis, and protection of people with disabilities" (9.30 a.m., Teatro Sociale) together with Andrea Bonsignori (BreakCotto social enterprise), Fabio Ciciliano (Civil Protection), and Rosario Valastro (President of the Italian Red Cross).

The first Nobel to arrive in Trento will be Michael Spence (Nobel Prize for Economics 2001), who will explain "Why Germany stopped and how to restart growth (not only in Germany)" (12:15 p.m. Palazzo della Provincia-Depero Room), while in the afternoon Tawakkol Karman, Nobel Peace Prize 2011, will speak in a dialogue with Father Enzo Fortunato on "Immigrations and peoples, the future of children" (2:15 p.m., Teatro Sociale).

For the government, Daniela Santanché, Minister of Tourism, will be present and will speak on the panel "Tourism must change: quality and not only quantity" with Bernabò Bocca (President Federalberghi) and Elisabetta Fabri (President Confindustria Alberghi) (12:00 noon, Sala della Filarmonica), while Guido Crosetto, Minister of Defence of the Italian Republic, will be in attendance, speaking on the theme "The paradigm of wars" (2:00 noon, Filarmonica), and Giancarlo Giorgetti, Minister of Economy and Finance (2:00 noon, Sala della Filarmonica):15, Philharmonic Hall), Giancarlo Giorgetti, Minister of Economy and Finance (16:00, Chamber of Commerce Headquarters - Calepini Room) who will talk about geopolitics and duties, Antonio Tajani, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, with Mario Vattani, Commissioner General for Italy at Expo 2025 Osaka, on strategies for Made in Italy (16:00, Palazzo Benvenuti - Nones Room)

Not to be missed is the dialogue of Francesco Gaetano Caltagirone, chairman of the Caltagirone Group, with Giulio Tremonti, chairman of the Foreign and EU Affairs Committee of the Chamber of Deputies, on "Change or Preservation" (4.15 p.m., Palazzo della Provincia - Sala Depero). SkyTg24 director Giuseppe De Bellis' video interview with Marco Tronchetti Provera, executive vice-chairman Pirelli, reflecting on the new world disorder will be screened in Piazza Cesare Battisti (12:10 pm)

Also debuting on the first day of the Festival is the series of meetings organised in collaboration with ISPI-Istituto per gli studi di politica internazionale "L'ora della verità" dedicated to Europe, Trump, China, the Middle East, France and Germany. First focus on China (4.30 p.m., Sala Gerola of Castello del Buonconsiglio).

Asian power is also the protagonist in other panels on 22 May: 'The role of the dollar and the internationalisation of the renminbi' will be analysed by Xiaofang Ma (China Central Party School) (9.30 a.m., Depero Hall, Palazzo della Provincia). Among others, Roberta Casali, vice president Asia Development Bank, and Yang Wang, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (2.15 p.m., Cinema Vittoria) will speak on the panel "La scommessa asiatica".

Highlights include the debate 'International corruption: the American green light' with Paolo Bernasconi (University of St. Gallen) and Francesco Greco (legality advisor to the Mayor of Rome) (10:00 a.m., Palazzo della Regione) and the panel 'What is the regenerative economy and why Europe can become a leader' with Andrea Illy (president illycaffè) (2:15 p.m., Depero Hall of the Palazzo della Provincia).

Among the other protagonists of the first day of the Festival Renato Brunetta (president of the CNEL) on "School, work, training in prison and outside with the objective of zero recidivism" (12.15 p.m., Sala Gerola of the Buonconsiglio Castle), Donato Masciandaro of the Bocconi University on "Hawks, doves and leopards: the new monetary policy routes of the Federal Reserve and the European Central Bank" (9:30, Sala Nones in Palazzo Benvenuti), Gad Lerner on "The Future of Gaza" together with Mohammed Abu Mughaisib, Deputy Medical Coordinator for Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) in Gaza (12: 00, Teatro Sociale), Diana Bracco (president and Ceo Gruppo Bracco) on "Italian Multinationals and Competitiveness" (16:15, Palazzo Geremia), Lavinia Biagiotti Cigna (president and Ceo Biagiotti Group) and Lorenzo Pellicioli (president of the De Agostini Group) on "Enterprises and governance choices" (2:15 pm, Palazzo Geremia).

To conclude the day, at 5.30 p.m. at the Teatro Sociale, the Festival's opening ceremony will be held. Lina Palmerini will dialogue with Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, President Emeritus of the Pontifical Council for Culture, on the theme 'Between the bulimia of means and the anorexia of ends'. The Festival organisers will then take turns on stage: Maria Carmela Colaiacovo, President of the 24 ORE Group, Flavio Deflorian, Chancellor of the University of Trento, Maurizio Fugatti, President of the Autonomous Province of Trento, Franco Ianeselli, Mayor of Trento, Maurizio Rossini, CEO of Trentino Marketing, Federico Silvestri, CEO of the 24 ORE Group, and Fabio Tamburini, editor of Il Sole 24 Ore, Radio 24 and Radiocor, and President of the Scientific Committee of the Trento Festival of Economics.

At the same time, the meetings of the 'Fuori Festival', 'Economie dei Territori' and 'Incontri con l'Autore' schedules will also start, which together with the Festival will bring over 650 speakers to Trento in more than 300 events over four days.