Italy to highlight opportunities for investors at 9th Annual Investment Meeting from 8-10 April 2019, Dubai

Dubai: The Italian Trade Agency (ITA) will participate in the 9th Annual Investment Meeting (AIM) 2019 in Dubai to showcase foreign direct investment (FDI) opportunities in Italy. Bringing together experts from more than 140 countries to share up-to-date information, strategies and knowledge on attracting FDI, AIM is held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai. The event will take place from April 8th-10th at the Dubai World Trade Centre.

Italy is a country of massive business opportunities and is known not only for its cultural and artistic heritage but also for its industrial sectors. Italy ranks fifth in the world for its manufacturing sector. Competitiveness is growing, between 2008 and 2018, exports increased from 37% to 48% as a share of the total industrial turnover. Foreign companies operating in Italy make a strong contribution to economic growth. They cover around 14% of total industrial investment and 26% of R&D expenditure.

Investment opportunities in Italy will be presented at a dedicated Country Presentation on April 9th at 11.30 AM in the presence of H.E Valentina Setta, Consul General of Italy in Dubai and Gianpaolo Bruno, Italian Trade Commissioner to the UAE, Oman and Pakistan. Speakers will include Stefano Nigro, Head of Foreign Direct Investment Department – Italian Trade Agency; Patrizia Celia, Head of Large Caps, Investment Vehicles & Market Intelligence – Equity Primary Markets, Borsa Italiana; Francesca Chieti, Head of Institutional Investors Business Development - London Stock Exchange Group; Paola Maccani, Head of the Territorial Development and Attractiveness Unit – Ervet, Emilia Romagna Regional Agency; Alessandro Bonfiglioli, CEO – Agriculture and Food Centre of Bologna and General Secretary Fico Foundation for Food Education and Sustainability.

According to Gianpaolo Bruno, Italian Trade Commissioner to the UAE, Oman and Pakistan: “AIM is an ideal platform for us to showcase to investors, Governments and experts the opportunities in Italy’s business sectors as varied as ICT, Pharma, Electronics, Agrifood, Aerospace and Consumer Goods. It is a very open economy, a welcoming place for investors and has taken significant steps

towards restoring investor’s trust and confidence. After a series of intense reforms implemented since 2011, Italy is now 10th globally and 4th in the EU, in the ‘2018 FDI Confidex Index’. Businesses in Italy have duty free access to more than 30 national markets within the European Economic Area and over 500 million high earning consumers. Industry 4.0 (digitalization process) and the government’s related plan offer important opportunities for manufacturing companies. We have a country presentation on the second day of AIM to give comprehensive information to investors.”

The country presentation will focus on the investment opportunities in various Italian business sectors. Investing in Italy means having access to unique expertise in leading sectors, such as robotics, fashion, design and food. Companies operating in Italy can also rely on extensive networks of SMEs and manufacturing clusters throughout the country, able to supply high-quality intermediate products specifically tailored to meet customers’ needs in a wide range of sectors such as industrial machinery, metals, chemicals, plastics, paper, ceramics, textile and marine industries. Italy also has a strong skilled workforce and an enviable lifestyle.

As one stop shop, the Italian Trade Agency takes care of the full investment cycle of a company wishing to invest in Italy. ITA provides pre-investment information related to market and business environment, taxes, legal system and labour market, incentive programme framework and financial scouting. The organization also helps with location scouting and site visit; authorisations; permits for foreign investors; Human Resources research; Liaison Office with Public Administration. Investors can also be assured of after care services such as assistance for new projects and expansion of existing ones.

The Italian pavilion is located in Hall 6, C60, the country presentation will take place at 11:30 AM in Room A, Dubai World Trade Centre. For more details on the Italian Trade Agency, please visit: http://www.ice.gov.it/; www.investinitaly.com

-Ends-

Media contacts:
Lisa George/Nariman Kaplan, Iris Public Relations, Dubai.
www.irispr.net.
TEL: +971 4 434 1207.
E-mail: lisa@irispr.net/nariman@irispr.net. 

About the Italian Trade Agency (ITA)
The Italian Trade Agency is the Government agency which promotes the globalization of Italian firms, under the aegis of the Ministry of Economic Development.

ITA helps to develop, facilitate and promote Italian economic and trade relations with foreign countries, focusing on the needs of SMEs, their associations and partnerships. ITA sustains Italian firms in their internationalization process, promoting and marketing Italian goods and services, as well as the image of "Made in Italy" products around the world, while facilitating outward Italian investments and encouraging FDI attraction into Italy.

ITA provides a wide range of services such as information, support and consultancy services and organizes a wealth of promotional activities in order to foster exports and economic cooperation in all sectors, with the objective of increasing the effectiveness of the presence of Italian companies on international markets.

ITA is headquartered in Rome and operates through a large network of Trade Promotion Offices linked to Italian Embassies and Consulates. The Dubai office is the ITA branch responsible for UAE, Oman and Pakistan.

For further information, please visit www.ice.it 

© Press Release 2019