by Maximiliano Crocamo
Interviews: Sebastiano Callari, Councilor for State Property, General Services, and Administrative Simplification; Marco Consalvo President of the Port of Trieste and Monfalcone
The Region of Friuli Venezia Giulia presented its digital development strategy at the fourth edition of FVG Connect, an annual event held in Trieste focused on digital innovation, technological transformation, and cooperation among public institutions, businesses, and research organizations.
Regional Councillor for Information Systems Sebastiano Callari described the regional administration’s infrastructure investments as foundational to business competitiveness. Callari stated that the region is working to create the necessary conditions—referred to as “digital motorways”—through which companies can operate more efficiently, responding to calls from the private sector for reduced bureaucracy and increased public investment.
The event featured contributions from several institutional and corporate representatives, including Marco Consalvo, President of the Port Authority of the Eastern Adriatic Sea; Fabio Gallo, CEO of Trieste Airport; Andrea Di Paolo, President of BAT Trieste; and representatives of Fincantieri and Saipem, Claudio Cisilino and Giovanni Massari.
Councillor Callari noted that the European Commission has recognised Friuli Venezia Giulia as a “strong innovator,” a designation he said applies to only a limited number of Italian regions. The region has developed a public fibre-optic network, including a quantum communication link between the University of Trieste and the port, established in 2020, and a 90-kilometre fibre connection between the universities of Trieste and Udine, completed in 2024.
Regional authorities stated that they are pursuing a European digital corridor in collaboration with Austria and other continental partners, with the objective of strengthening European digital sovereignty and countering hybrid warfare threats by positioning the region as a technology hub between the Mediterranean and Northern Europe.
Callari also referenced the AgorAI project as a regional artificial intelligence initiative. The region’s long-term objective includes preparing millions of qualified professionals by 2030.
