Energy and infrastructure for the growth of Italy and Spain

On September 23, at the Italian Embassy in Madrid, IMI Corporate & Investment Banking Division brought together institutions, associations, businesses and finance to discuss the economic prospects of Italy and Spain.

The conference “The role of Spain and Italy for growth: innovation, sustainability and strategic infrastructure for a more competitive Europe”, outlined the role of the two countries in the European context, paying particular attention to energy transition and the importance of investments in strategic infrastructure.

The proceedings were kicked off by Giuseppe Buccino Grimaldi, Ambassador of Italy to Madrid, and Mauro Micillo, Chief of IMI Corporate & Investment Banking Division, followed by the speech of the President of the Spanish Banking Association, Alejandra Kindelàn.

Gregorio De Felice, Chief Economist of Intesa Sanpaolo, then highlighted how Italy and Spain are at the bottom of the rankings of the most advanced economies in terms of quality and quantity of infrastructure, highlighting the need for substantial investment, closer public-private collaboration and greater cooperation between states.

Two panel discussions followed in the presence of well-known academics and experts from the Energy and Infrastructure sectors:

• Strategies and new business models within the energy industry analyzed the strategies and new business models in the energy sector
• The energy transition impact on infrastructure: the role of grid operators to foster sustainable mobility about the impact of the energy transition on the infrastructure sector and the role of grid operators in fostering sustainable mobility.

More details are in the Press Release.