Transport logistic 2023: comparing regional collaborative experiences

The 2023 edition of Transport Logistic, the premier international sector showcase, concluded with remarkable success, surpassing all previous attendance records. It featured the participation of 2,320 exhibitors from 67 countries and attracted over 75,000 visitors from 120 nations.
Within the exhibition, ER.I.C. (Emilia-Romagna Intermodal Cluster), in collaboration with the Emilia-Romagna Region and ITL Foundation, organized an event to present their collaborative model and highlight the initiatives undertaken by the region to enhance the competitiveness of the intermodal sector. Paolo Ferrecchi, Director General of the Territorial Care and Environment Service of the Emilia-Romagna Region, delivered an insightful presentation on these efforts.
Alex Irwin-Hunt, an analyst from the Financial Times (fDi Intelligence), shared his research findings on “European Cities and Regions of the Future 2023”, with Emilia-Romagna ranked ninth among 140 European regions in terms of economic potential, favourable business environment, connectivity, human capital, and quality of life.
The analysis reveals an excellent overall positioning in terms of foreign direct investment (FDI) attractiveness, which could be further enhanced by increasing the region’s connectivity with global production systems. According to the English analyst, Emilia-Romagna has the potential to achieve this goal. Speaking on behalf of ER.I.C., Marco Spinedi (President of Interporto Bologna), Gianpaolo Serpagli (President of CEPIM – Interporto Parma), and Mario Petrosino (Chief Operating Officer of ADSP MACS – Port of Ravenna) shared their insights on the topic in a discussion alongside representatives from two European logistic clusters: Logistics in Wallonia (the transport, logistics, and mobility cluster of the Belgian region of Wallonia) and Logistick-Cluster Schwaben (the logistics association of Swabia).
Andrea Corsini, Councillor for Mobility and Transport, Infrastructure, Tourism, and Commerce, emphasized that while ranking ninth acknowledges the region’s past achievements, it should also serve as a motivation for the Cluster to further enhance the efficiency of the regional logistics system. This will contribute to improving Emilia-Romagna’s future positioning compared to other European territorial systems.