Brussels – Using Cohesion policy funds as a bridge between local resilience and territorial attractiveness, moving away from a model of mere hardship compensation toward an investment strategy that enables talent, businesses, and communities to thrive. This is the vision the Abruzzo Region will present in Brussels on October 13th during the event “Abruzzo and Europe’s Inner Areas – New Strategies for Territorial Attractiveness and Resilience.” The meeting will take place from 4:30 PM at the Belgian-Italian Chamber of Commerce.
“Through this event, Abruzzo aims to shift the narrative surrounding inland areas,” explains Marco Marsilio, President of the Abruzzo Region. “Rather than focusing solely on demographic decline and distance from services, we want to highlight their untapped potential and capacity to generate new growth opportunities. Our goal is to build an ecosystem where infrastructure, services, innovation, skills, and investment work together to make these areas more competitive and attractive, not only for innovative businesses, but also for highly skilled talent, enabling them to build their futures in their home territories. It is a challenge Abruzzo is bringing to the heart of Europe to foster international dialogue.”
Designed as a collaborative platform, the side event aims to chart new pathways for boosting competitiveness, innovation, and sustainable development across Europe’s inland regions. The program features a diverse panel of experts. Following opening remarks by Fabio Morvilli, President of the Belgian-Italian Chamber of Commerce, Stefano Cianciotta, Chief of Staff to President Marsilio, will lead a discussion on the competitiveness and attractiveness of inner areas. Emanuela Murri will then outline key investments under the Abruzzo Cohesion Policy 2021–2027, followed by Mariangela Tucceri, who will highlight the role of Cohesion funds in improving public services, infrastructure, and community connectivity.
The international perspective will be addressed by Dorothée Allain-Dupré from the OECD, sharing insights on place-based policies and resilient communities. At 6:00 PM, Arturo Polese from the European Commission’s DG REGIO will deliver a keynote titled “Transforming Cohesion Policy into Territorial Attractiveness: The Abruzzo ERDF Programme,” detailing how the ERDF framework acts as a practical driver for regional growth. The corporate viewpoint will be provided by Rita Malavasi, Head of Public Policy at Amazon Italy, focusing on investment factors and Amazon’s experience in Abruzzo. Additionally, Maria Rosaria Russo of Formez PA will discuss capacity building, artificial intelligence, and regional appeal, while Pierluigi Biondi, President of ANCI Abruzzo and Mayor of L'Aquila, will share the experience of local municipalities.
The event will also highlight local culture through a tasting of traditional Abruzzo regional specialties, before closing with remarks by President Marco Marsilio on building the future of Europe’s inner regions through cohesion and international cooperation.