by Maximiliano Crocamo
interview: Fabio Scoccimarro, FVG Councilor for Environment, Energy, and Sustainable Development
The Friuli Venezia Giulia regional government has presented plans to redevelop the former Udine-Campoformido military airfield, a disused 78,000-square-meter site with a long history in Italian aviation.
The project, known as Udine Innovation Hub, aims to combine research, renewable energy development, cultural heritage and public green space.
Fabio Scoccimarro, the regional councilor for environmental protection, energy and sustainable development, outlined the initiative in Trieste on Monday, describing the redevelopment as an opportunity to preserve a historically significant site while supporting the region’s economic and technological development.
The airfield played strategic roles during both world wars and later became associated with the origins of Italy’s national aerobatic team, the Frecce Tricolori. The redevelopment plan calls for the restoration of historic hangars and the creation of spaces dedicated to aviation history and culture, alongside facilities for research, universities and education.
The project also envisions an energy park that would serve as a testing ground for renewable energy technologies, energy communities and hydrogen production, as well as a natural area open to the public.
The site’s proximity to the Magredi, an ecologically distinctive landscape in Friuli, is expected to inform efforts to protect local biodiversity and strengthen connections between the surrounding urban area and the natural environment.
“Preserving our roots and national history does not mean keeping them behind glass, but placing them at the center of the region’s development,” Scoccimarro said.
The regional government is working with several partners, including Arcadis Italia, Land Italia, Kroll and Kallipolis, with participation from local businesses, public authorities and research institutions.
Scoccimarro said cooperation between public and private organizations would be essential to turning the abandoned military site into a center for economic, technological and social development, accessible to residents, businesses and younger generations.
The regional government has not provided a detailed construction timetable or an overall project budget in the announcement.
