Bologna Business School hosted the event “Innovation at the service of economic integration between Emilia-Romagna and France”, an important moment of discussion between institutions and companies aimed at strengthening the synergies between these two complementary production ecosystems.
The meeting was attended by the Ambassador of France to Italy, Martin Briens. The Dean of BBS Massimo Bergami and the Consul General of France in Milan Francois Bonet opened the proceedings, followed by institutional greetings from Michele de Pascale, President of the Emilia-Romagna Region. During the plenary session, an in-depth overview of the economic relations between the two territories was offered, thanks to the contributions of Annalisa Sassi (Confindustria Emilia-Romagna), Cecile Bourland (CCI France Italie) and Pierric Bonnard (Business France).
The program was then divided into two parallel sessions, dedicated to strategic sectors for joint development:
New Space Economy: opened by Vincenzo Colla (Emilia-Romagna Region), moderated by Anna Masutti (University of Bologna) and Gianni Dragoni (Il Sole 24 Ore). Speakers included: Charlotte Voisin, Alexia Lacaze, Carole Crevel, Marco Moscatti, Marie RAOUL, Nabore Benini, Serafino D’Angelantonio, Alessandro Curti, Massimo C Comparini, Marco Pisano, Tiziano Sassorossi, Chiara Pertosa, Michele Poggipolini and Massimo Bercella.
Agri-food: introduced by Alessio Mammi (Emilia-Romagna Region), moderated by Claudio Perrella (RPLT RP legalitax) and Ilaria Vesentini (Il Sole 24 Ore). Speakers included: Hervé Martin, Ernesto Fornari, Gianpiero Calzolari, Alessio Bruschetta, Natasha Linhart, Giovanni Pacini, Igor Riccardi, Paolo Pasini, Riccardo Tomassetti, Gianmarco Tammaro and Etienne LE LABOURIER.
These thematic focuses have allowed us to explore concrete opportunities for innovation, investment and shared growth between Italian and French companies, fueling an open dialogue on the economic future of Europe that starts precisely from the collaboration between Emilia-Romagna and France.
During the Conference, our Commercial Director Igor Riccardi addressed crucial issues for the food technology sector: CEPI’s relationship with France, the interaction between innovation, regulations and duties, and the transition to a circular economy. With the end of the shortage of raw materials, CEPI has returned to using almost exclusively recycled steel, improving our circularity index (MCI).
France, after Italy, is the most important market for CEPI, for 40 years. The presence of French-speaking members has certainly facilitated our success in this country. Other interesting markets include Europe, USA and Asia. The path of innovation allows us to grow day after day, facing regulatory challenges and embracing sustainability for a better future.
Thank you for this wonderful opportunity!
