Yesterday at the Masseria Li Reni in Manduria (Taranto) the event “Italy protagonist of Euro-Mediterranean development”, organized by ALIS, the Logistics Association of Sustainable Intermodality chaired by Guido Grimaldi, was held.
The central theme of the event, which was an opportunity to take stock of the growth of the logistics sector, the policies of the South, the new challenges and opportunities for businesses and for the development of our country, was that of competition and port concessions.
For the sixth consecutive year, ALIS met for the usual summer appointment at Masseria Li Reni in Manduria and we discussed with numerous authoritative guests from institutions, businesses, ports, work and finance, including the Deputy Ministers of Infrastructure and of Transport Edoardo Rixi and of Justice Francesco Paolo Sisto, the Commander General of the Port Authorities Admiral Nicola Carlone and the President of the International Chamber of Shipping Emanuele Grimaldi, interviewed by the host Bruno Vespa whom I thank as always for the great professionalism and availability .
During the event, we placed the accent on the economy of the sea and on Euro-Mediterranean maritime traffic and then moved on to the new challenges and opportunities deriving from them for businesses and, furthermore, we explored issues related to finance, safety, competition and sustainability as a leitmotif for Italy’s competitive development at an international level”.
Thus the President of ALIS Guido Grimaldi commented the event “Italy protagonist of the Euro-Mediterranean development”, opened by the institutional greetings of the Mayor of Manduria Gregorio Pecoraro and in which the panel speakers also intervened, moderated by Antonio Errigo and Sergio Luciano: the Vice-President of the Anti-Mafia Commission Mauro D’Attis, the President of the Greek port of Igoumenitsa Athanasios Porfiris, the 7 Presidents of the Port System Authorities Andrea Agostinelli (Southern Tyrrhenian and Ionian Sea), Andrea Annunziata (Central Tyrrhenian Sea), Fulvio Lino Di Blasio (Northern Adriatic Sea), Francesco Di Sarcina (Eastern Sicilian Sea), Pino Musolino (Central-Northern Tyrrhenian Sea), Ugo Patroni Griffi (Southern Adriatic Sea) and Sergio Prete (Ionian Sea), the CEO of Minoan Lines Lucas Sigalas, the Managers of the Grimaldi Group Nunzio Savarese and Dario Bocchetti, the General Manager of ALIS Marcello Di Caterina and the Secretary General Francesca Fiorini, the President of the ITS national network for sustainable mobility Silvio Busico, the Commercial Director of Indeed Roberto Colarossi, the President of RIA Grant Thornton Giampiero De Angelis, the President and CEO of Q8 Quaser Giovanni Romano, the Head of Sustainable B2B of ENI Mauro Risi, the General Manager of Fratelli Cosulich Gianmichele Campanella, the President of Banca Popolare di Bari Pasquale Casillo and the managers of Banca Finnat Cristiano Galli and of BPER Banca Luca Monis.
“I am really proud that among the ALIS members there are – underlined the President Guido Grimaldi in his introductory report – the main companies that are currently carrying out important investments, projects and experiments in the field of sustainability, which will certainly have an impact on the evolution of market, on the growth of connected supply chains, such as that of tourism, and on strengthening the international competitiveness of our national excellences.
Furthermore, for the sustainable development of companies, subsidized loans and financial instruments created with banks are very useful, such as the recently launched 100 million euro ALIS Basket Bond Project in order to collaborate in the process of innovation, strengthening and transformation of the logistics sector . We hope that the Government will also be able to increasingly support the growth of companies and show itself increasingly sensitive in supporting a supply chain and sustainability rating that goes in the direction of recognizing and, consequently, enhancing the most virtuous companies”.
On support for virtuous companies operating in intermodality, the Vice President and General Manager of ALIS Marcello Di Caterina underlined that “the Marebonus incentive measure represented an extraordinary opportunity for growth and development and we must do everything possible not to lose the 2022 funds ”.
Furthermore, again in the introductory speech, the President Guido Grimaldi declared “The macroeconomic data require us to reflect and, taking up a passage from the Annual Report of the Competition and Market Authority presented by President Rustichelli a few weeks ago to the Senate, where we participated as an association, I agree that “the impact of inflationary dynamics on households and businesses can also be conditioned by the degree of competitiveness of the markets”.
In reiterating that “I can proudly state that in our Association we include national and international champions of competitiveness and competition who operate through cutting-edge industrial policies, all in favor of Italian businesses and citizens”, he added that “it is essential to bring forward correct and transparent administrative action aimed at promoting free competition. Unfortunately, however, in some Italian ports today we are witnessing terminal concentrations for the benefit of groups that could abuse their dominant position which alters competition and closes the markets, causing direct damage to Italian citizens and families and, therefore, to the country”.
In fact, the theme of competition and port concessions was central to the entire event, on which the Deputy Minister Edoardo Rixi also spoke: “Either our country is given the tools to manage the market avoiding situations of monopoly which could be detrimental to the country, or there is a problem. So a new process is needed for which, before certain acts of public impact are carried out, a precise and transparent procedure must be followed, especially if the concessions concern strategic arcs, with public visibility and public decision”.
The position of Emanuele Grimaldi, President of the International Chamber of Shipping and CEO of the Grimaldi Group, is very clear: “We need to give the possibility to various entrepreneurs to be able to invest in ports and have the necessary spaces and docks to be able to provide the services. It is not normal for an operator to be given the possibility of having concessions that damage the activities of direct competitors, as is happening in Genoa and Livorno where abuses of a dominant position are taking place”.
And the reference to the lack of professional figures in the sector and the need to bring young people closer together is equally clear: “The seafarer’s career is evolving together with the technological developments of ships and fuels and, thanks also to the use of artificial intelligence, there will be new opportunities and there will be an even greater need for trained and specialized seafarers, cadets, officers and engineers”.
The Deputy Minister of Justice Francesco Paolo Sisto also spoke on the issues of sustainability and security, according to whom “legality is not just a word but a glue between public and private, between which a new synergy and new rules are needed to give the greater transparency in our country”, and the General Commander of the Corps of the Port Authorities Admiral Nicola Carlone who declared: “The relationship with the shipowning world is constant and daily and their commitment is also fundamental for the development of the maritime sector towards a greater sustainability. It is also a stimulus for us to have to adapt to new technologies and follow the evolution of new fuels”.