MSP and ICZM have become the “new frontier” for the Blue Economy in Italy

Leonardo (third from left), tell us a bit about yourself and your background – how did you come to your current role?

Since the very beginning of my professional path in the field of internationalization, economic co-operation, entrepreneurship, business development, I have been assisting clusters, consortia, entrepreneurial associations and networks, SMEs, large industrial companies such as Farm Mechanization Cluster of Emilia Romagna Region (CESMA), Industrial/Municipal Vehicles, Railway Technologies in Puglia, and Maritime Technologies in Liguria.

In the sector of Blue Economy, I am co-organizer since 2014 of SEAFUTURE, in co-operation with DLTM-Ligurian Cluster of Maritime Technologies-, Consorzio Tecnomar, Italian Navy and Chamber of Commerce of La Spezia. In 2018 I became a founding partner of Italian Blue Growth srl, now one of the 12 clusters included by the government, in the national strategy for development.

How is the Italian National Hub working towards the Blue Economy in Italy?

As Italian National Hub (NH), I work in strict co-operation with National Coordinators and WestMED co-Presidents for 2020-2021 and assist stakeholders in partnering with counterparts to submit funded project proposals.

Through thematic platforms, my goals are to find synergies and new opportunities and present credible and reliable Italian partners to subsea-basin counterparts, but also to establish a fruitful and informal dialogue with policy makers and EU, national, regional institutions. Following a similar approach, I suggested the creation of the first Technical Group on Sustainable Maritime Transport within the WestMED Assistance Mechanism.

The organisation and participation to networking events play a key role to reach these goals. Our National Event will take place online on the 25 and 26 June.

How do you think the Blue Economy will develop in Italy?

Italy and almost 8000 km coasts, including larger islands and smaller archipelagos. The Blue Economy represents one of the main directions for the development of the country and its local communities. Beside the need to identify new sustainable models for traditional activities like fishing, aquaculture, coastal tourism, shipbuilding and repair, MSP and ICZM have become the “new frontier” for the Blue Economy in Italy. That has an immediate impact on its pivotal role for Sustainable Transport between the Mediterranean Basin and continental Europe.

Introducing MSP and ICZM to local public administrations and private stakeholders means improving development plans, but also fostering compliant and virtuous behaviours of all actors, towards the integration among territories, marine spaces and coastal zones.

From the technological perspective, the development of Blue Economy in Italy will pass through the continuous osmosis of experiences, models, practices, technologies and systems with all competence environments (with clusters, as key players), who have the curiosity to verify their “blue” applications.