Asturian institutional representatives headed by the Regional Minister for Employment, Industry and Tourism, Francisco Blanco, used the occasion of the Expo Milan 2015 to highlight the advantages of investing in Asturias in terms of production, logistics and commerce.
A competitive environment, highly qualified personnel, high levels of productivity, technology parks, available industrial ground and an innovative culture: These were the elements outlined by the Regional Minister for Employment, Industry and Tourism, Francisco Blanco. Asturias as an investment destination; a definition that lends itself perfectly to the “modernisation, incorporation of new technologies and improvement of competitive process and access to international markets” that both the Regional Minister and the rest of the Asturian Institutional Delegation highlighted during the Asturias Day recently held on 28th October in the Universal Exposition in Milan, Italy.
Between 26th and 30th October, Asturias took centre stage in the Spanish Pavilion in the 2015 Expo Milan. The week dedicated to the region, was based on activities, exhibitions and conferences about the region’s industry, tourism and agro-food sector.
The main activities took place on the Asturias Day (28th October), with participation by the Regional Minister, and the Consul General, Antonio Cosano, the vice-commissioner of the Pavilion, Begoña Cerro, as well as the CEOs of Commerce and Tourism, Julio González Zapico, Mining and Energy, Isaac Pola, and Rural and Agro-food Development, Jesús Casas.
Energy and Industrial Sector
As well as promoting Asturias as a tourist destination, the Principality benefitted from the Milan event to present the business opportunities offered by the Asturian energy and industrial sector to the Italian market. To do so, the CEO of Mining and Energy, Isaac Pola, attended a meeting with Italian companies, organised by Promos, a special Agency of the Milan Chamber of Commerce with the aim of globalising companies.
Pola made the most of the occasion to highlight the energy projects being undertaken in the region, clearly manifested with the 2,588 million euros of investment made in the sector between 2005 and 2012.
Italy, a strategic market for Asturias
Italy is one of the main destinations for Asturian exportations. During the first eight months of 2015, companies in the region exported 248.8 million euros worth of merchandise to Italy, entailing a 16.36% increase over the same period the previous year. The reason behind this? Demands from the automobile sector.
Asturias has become one of the key providers of steel products and pieces for the automobile industry, though the same could be said for its exportations in other fields, such as zinc supplies, passenger boarding bridges, recycled paper, milk, dairy products and eggs.
