The SUPSI East Campus in Lugano recently hosted the First edition of the Italian-Swiss Industrial Forum, organized by the Italian Chamber of Commerce for Switzerland, with the participation of over 200 entrepreneurs. The event saw the participation of prominent authorities and institutions, including Michele Guerra, President of the Grand Council of the Canton of Ticino, and Gian Lorenzo Cornado, Ambassador of Italy to Switzerland, who inaugurated the meeting.

Ambassador Cornado underlined the importance of the relationship between Italy and Switzerland, recalling that trade between the two countries reaches one billion euros per week, with 40% of these exchanges concentrated in border regions, such as Lombardy. The highest Italian diplomatic representative to the Confederation also emphasized how the Forum represents an opportunity to strengthen collaborations at institutional and business levels, promoting shared economic growth.

During the Forum, an international panel of speakers discussed the economic trend and future prospects for Italian and Swiss industries, particularly in the MEM (mechanical, electrical and metallurgical) sector. The event saw the participation of important Italian institutions, including, in addition to the Italian Embassy in Bern and the Consulate General of Italy in Lugano, the Institute for Foreign Trade-ICE in Rome, Simest, which has supported the growth of Italian companies through the internationalization of their business since 1991, and its counterpart Switzerland Global Enterprise, all committed to promoting synergies between the two countries.

The conference was attended by:

  • Matteo Ramenghi (Chief Investor Office of UBS Italy)
  • Stefano Modenini (Director of AITI) and Stefania Padoan (Member of AITI)
  • Nicola Roberto Tettamanti (President of Swissmechanic)
  • Emanuele Carpanzano (Director of Research and Development and Knowledge Transfer SUPSI)
  • Matteo Castiglioni (General Manager & Head of Division Machining of Mikron)
  • Roberto Candido (CEO Italy and Switzerland & Global CRO of Avvale)

The event took place in two distinct moments.

A morning conference, during which industry experts addressed economic and industrial issues.

In the afternoon, a trade fair event took place, which allowed for the creation of new connections between Swiss demand and Italian supply.

One of the central themes of the Forum was the agreement on cabotage between Italy and Switzerland, which will liberalize the transport sector between the two countries, and whose signature is imminent in the Italian capital. Ambassador Cornado defined this agreement as an epochal step to improve interconnections between the two countries, fostering new opportunities for bilateral economic development.

Fabrizio Macrì, Secretary General of the Italian Chamber of Commerce for Switzerland, highlighted the strategic importance of Italian industry, both for its technical skills and for the work culture it expresses. “The Chamber is committed to promoting Italian industry in a rich and dynamic market like the Swiss one,” said Macrì, highlighting the challenges that Italian industry is facing, including the disruption of supply chains and the economic crisis in Germany.