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Italy4Innovation and Digital Unbound London with the participation of Minister of State Stefano Buffagni

The Embassy of Italy in London hosted the ninth event in the Italy4Innovation series, an initiative launched to publicise the Italian innovation sector and to foster collaboration between Italy and the UK in the field of new technologies. The event, entitled “Italy and the UK: synergies and opportunities between the two start-up ecosystems”, was co-organised with the Italian Trade Agency (ITA), which is currently participating in Unbound London, one of the largest international festivals of innovation, digital technology and the knowledge economy. Italy’s participation in the festival was part of the Global Start-Up Programme, an initiative by ITA and the Ministry of Economic Development aimed at Italian start-ups and innovative SMEs working in the high-tech field that are not yet present on the international market.

The ambassador, Raffaele Trombetta, said that the embassy actively promotes organic, sophisticated forms of collaboration by creating a platform for regular dialogue between operators, policy makers and regulators. He noted that this is more necessary than ever, as Italy and the UK are due to soon lose their shared membership of the EU.

Stefano Buffagni, Minister of State for Local and Regional Affairs highlighted Italy’s progress in the field of innovation, in particular the legislative measures that have been introduced: the Start-Up Act and the Industry 4.0 package have been instrumental in helping the sector to grow. The current government is reinforcing these measures and introducing new ones, such as tax breaks and development funds for venture capital, as well as looking at new ways to attract talent. The aim is to progressively align Italy’s regulatory structure with that of the major global innovation hubs, leveraging Italian strengths in R&D, advanced manufacturing and technology.

The panellists were Andrew Elwick, head of the Technology and Creative Industries section of the Department for International Trade; Charlotte Walsh, co-founder of Digital Detox; and Fabrizio Perrone, CEO and founder of Buzzoole. The discussion was moderated by Paola Cuneo of the London Stock Exchange Group. With one British and one Italian company represented on the panel, the speakers were well placed to compare the two countries’ start-up ecosystems, focusing on the regulatory frameworks, development models, the support and incentives available, and current best practices.

16th July

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