Municipality of Terni: President Michela Sciurpa addresses the Third Council Commission

"Sviluppumbria, following the indications of the Region of Umbria, has recently begun a new direct dialogue with businesses and local governments in the region," said Dr. Sciurpa, speaking on Thursday, 28 January 2021, at a hearing of the Third Council Commission of the Municipality of Terni. "The City of Terni is one of the shareholders of the regional agency and home to one of its three offices, so there should be a more concrete and collaborative relationship between the two entities."

The meeting, introduced by the President of the Commission, Councillor Federico Brizi, is part of a process initiated by the Municipality of Terni that has already seen the commission meet with various trade associations and the President of Gepafin. The Third Council Commission covers topics of economic development and labour policies, among others.

"I have been President of Sviluppumbria for only six months," added Dr. Sciurpa, "it is a position I hold with a great sense of responsibility and with the awareness of someone who, coming from the business world, brings important experience in what businesses really need. I am certain that with the new economic policy inputs from the Region and the work of our team, it will be possible to achieve this objective. Sviluppumbria's renewed mission places businesses and the territory at the centre of the agency's activities and favours their growth and development by pursuing trajectories of innovation, internationalization, investment attraction, and integrated promotion. Sviluppumbria also enhances the value of the region's real estate assets through specific calls for tenders. These activities are divided among the three territorial offices in Foligno, Perugia and Terni, which correspond to different lines of development, given that in Foligno we are developing a centre of competence focused on digitalisation and in Terni an area focused instead on the theme of sustainability to intercept the lines of funding from the European Community in this area".

An in-depth analysis by Sviluppumbria executives on the business support tools managed by the agency followed, with a focus on open notices in support of internationalization, projects aimed at stimulating youth entrepreneurship, relations with ITS and high schools, entrepreneurship in so-called crisis areas, the business crisis regional task force, support for innovation and start-ups, operations and prospects of the Terni Business Incubator. Finally, a geographical observation was made, that the support instruments activated in recent years have seen a ratio of 25-30% of applicatoins received from Terni province and the remaining 70-75% from Perugia province, while Sviluppumbria has recently received some very interesting projects from companies in the Terni and Narni areas that aim at internationalisation.

The hearing concluded with the hope of strengthened collaboration between Sviluppumbria and the Municipality of Terni in order to disseminate the opportunities for technical and financial assistance offered by Sviluppumbria more widely to businesses in the area.