A number of projects across 22 municipalities in Forlì-Cesena have helped a number of medium-sized cities to work together with rural areas to share resources, encourage sustainable growth, create jobs, and improve the quality of life for its inhabitants.
- 31 October 2013
Our goal for the development of Forlì-Cesena is founded on integrating the city and the rural environment. For example, investment in refurbishing Roman archaeological sites and medieval castles has fostered new kinds of businesses.
The province of Forlì-Cesena in the central Italian region of Emilia Romagna has a diverse economy and is home to both high-tech industry in its towns and cities and agricultural production in its rural areas.
The projects, funded through the Eurpean Regional Development Fund, have helped the energy, tourism, agriculture, and food production sectors to grow by promoting research, industrial innovation, cultural heritage and the natural environment.
The philosophy behind the projects is that individual municipalities in villages, towns and cities can achieve far more for the region collectively than they can when acting alone.
Helping businesses and boosting exports
An example of the programme’s purpose can be found in the work of the University of Bologna’s Centre for Food and Agro-Industrial Research, based in Cesena. The centre helps local businesses and food growers to improve their products and boost exports, through research, advice and cooperation. The centre’s expert guidance on marketing, logistics and distribution has boosted exports of the region’s food produce not only to other EU member states but also to China, the United States and Saudi Arabia.
Another example of the programme’s aims can be seen in the work of Forlì-based Centuria, which is one of a number of non-profit agencies helping to transfer technological innovation and research findings to businesses in Emilia Romagna. The agency supports industrial research projects focussed on renewable energy and bio-degradable packaging by promoting networking and training.
In the field of tourism, ERDF funds have been used to refurbish the San Domenico Museum in Forlì and to upgrade Roman and mediaeval sites in the Bidente valley. The investments have helped boost the region’s reputation as a cultural centre and have helped attract more visitors. Meanwhile, a water museum in the mountainous area around the Ridracoli reservoir has benefitted from ERDF funding for educational activities, providing school pupils in the region with the opportunity to learn more about the environment and nature in general.
Total investment and EU funding
Total investment for the project “Rurban - Italy: Pooling the resources of Italy’s cities and rural communities” in the province of Forlì-Cesena was EUR 50 714 264, of which the ERDF contributed EUR 8 955 299 from the Operational Programme for the Emilia-Romagna Region for the 2007-2013 programming period.