BARI/TARANTO, 07 APRIL 2022 – The Intesa Sanpaolo group has signed an agreement with the Port Network Authority of the Southern Adriatic Sea (Bari, Brindisi, Manfredonia, Barletta and Monopoli) and with the Port Network Authority of the Ionian Sea (Taranto) for the development of port activities and the economy to which they are linked with significant positive impacts for the Puglia hinterland.
- The central points of the agreement include enhancing sustainable investments, supporting growth via extraordinary finance and digitalisation, promotion of supply chain agreements and support for attracting foreign capital.
- €1.5 billion in funds have been allocated to encourage production sites in Special Economic Zones (SEZ).
- Puglia’s added value generated by sectors relating to its maritime economy amounts to €3.2 billion. 53% of the region’s imports and exports (€8.2 billion) travel by sea.
The agreement falls within “Motore Italia”, the bank’s strategic programme that foresees financing and initiatives to support small and medium-sized enterprises in overcoming the difficult period caused by the pandemic as well as relaunching themselves through development projects, in line with the objectives of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP).
In order to accelerate the growth of the southern economy, Intesa Sanpaolo is actively participating in the development of Special Economic Zones (SEZs) in Southern Italy, for which it has allocated funds of €1.5 billion for new investments. The Group has already promoted the SEZs targeting international investors through specific overseas missions, such as those in Dubai and Beijing, and has set up a specialised desk offering technical and financial consultancy services. The NRRP has allocated approximately €83 million for the Adriatic SEZ and approximately €108 for the Ionian SEZ.
The agreement signed by the Port Network Authorities includes objectives such as boosting the recovery of sustainable 4.0 investments by small and medium-sized enterprises, growth via the use of extraordinary finance and digitalisation, individual and supply chain business development programmes, initiatives with high economic and social impact that can attract investors. In this regard, and in accordance with the measures provided for by the NRRP for improving the competitiveness of the port system, the following interventions have been foreseen:
• Assistance for businesses in the process of evolving towards ESG principles (Environment, Social & Governance) and the Circular Economy
• Creation of initiatives aimed at developing and promoting innovation in the region
• Support for the creation and growth of new businesses
• Promotion of supply chain agreements for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, encouraging access to Intesa Sanpaolo’s Supply Chain Development Programme
• Promotion of new productive investments, including those in response to reshoring interventions
• Management training within businesses beginning with aspects of innovative handling of finance
• Encouragement and support for investments, including from abroad, that can generate new opportunities for economic and social development in the region
• Promotion of welfare and impact banking initiatives following the principles of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)
As reported in a study conducted by SRM – a Research Centre linked to Intesa Sanpaolo, Puglia’s added value generated by sectors relating to its maritime economy equates to €3.2 billion (4.6% of the total added value produced by the region).
Blue Economy businesses in the region number nearly 18,000 and employ approximately 72,400 people. Moreover, Puglia’s manufacturing industry is closely tied to the shipping sector for the transport of its products. Indeed, 53% of the region’s imports and exports (€8.2 billion) travel by sea (the national average is 36%).
The areas most closely connected to the region by maritime imports and exports are those European countries that are not members of the EU, making up a 24% share, followed by eastern Asia and North America, each with a share of 17%. Hence, the region’s international focus on destinations requiring transoceanic maritime connections is crucial.
2021 was a significant year for Puglia’s ports as they overcame the pandemic: they handled 34.3 million tonnes of goods, of which 16.8 million were handled by the Port Network Authority of the Southern Adriatic Sea (Bari, Brindisi, Manfredonia, Barletta and Monopoli) and 17.5 million by the Port Network Authority of the Ionian Sea (Taranto).
“With this agreement we have confirmed and reinforced our support for Puglia’s port network and the entire regional supply chain of the maritime economy - explained Alberto Pedroli, Intesa Sanpaolo’s Regional Director for Basilicata, Puglia and Molise -. We are providing new credit and operational support for businesses in this sector in order to accelerate economic recovery with a commitment to a sustainable future from an economic, environmental and social perspective. In this context of major transformation, between now and 2026 our Group has plans for a national programme of over €410 billion of funding in the medium-to-long term, €120 billion of which has been earmarked for SMEs, with which to actively support the country’s recovery in close alignment with the objectives of the NRRP”.
“The worlds of ports and finance have united with the aim of breathing life into Puglia’s economy and giving new possibilities of recovery - commented the President of the Port Network Authority of the Southern Adriatic Sea, Ugo Patroni Griffi -. Two years of pandemic and the current crisis are disrupting international economic and commercial structures, with significant repercussions for the maritime transport industry which transports 90% of goods traded globally. In this new landscape, the ports of the future must be acting on four pillars: shortening of logistic chains, greater sustainability, digitalisation and simplification of procedures. We can reach these targets through SEZs, which are genuine strategic assets for the recovery of the whole of the South, and the funds deriving from the NRRP. Through a healthy vision of cooperation and collaboration, the agreement with Intesa Sanpaolo and the Port of Taranto aims to revitalise the role of ports as strategic hubs and gateways from which it is possible to launch a revival effort for the industrial and manufacturing fabric of Italy and unfurl new and streamlined logistic networks on a national and international level”.
“The relationship undertaken with Intesa Sanpaolo as part of this agreement – stated the President of the Port Network Authority of the Ionian Sea, Prof. Sergio Prete – represents a further opportunity to enhance and strengthen the strategic axes for the development of the Port of Taranto. Thanks to this synergy, and indeed in accordance with the interventions concerning the Port of Taranto within the context of the NRRP, the Port Network Authority will have the opportunity to encourage a more effective, competitive growth of the port through measures supporting manufacturing companies that want to establish themselves in the port area and the SEZs by promoting entrepreneurial and commercial projects based on the principles of innovation, cooperation and sustainability”.
Media information:
Intesa Sanpaolo
Rapporti con i Media – Banca dei Territori e Media Locali [Media Relations]
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Port Network Authority of the Southern Adriatic Sea
Bari Office
+39 080 5788511
Port Network Authority of the Ionian Sea
General and International Affairs Department
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