Currently, an intern is strengthening the team Sofia Orefice The Thuringia International team in the Economic Development Department. With her Italian background, she brings valuable insights to the team and supports projects related to Northern Italy, among other things. This also includes the creation of this article:
“Diamo uno sguardo più da vicino all'Italia!” – Let's take a closer look at Italy:
Cooperation between Germany and Italy recently came into the media spotlight due to government consultations between Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. As Europe's third-largest economy, Italy's industrial sector plays a central role in the European single market. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) forecasts GDP growth of just under one percent for this year, the unemployment rate has recently developed unexpectedly favorably, and for the first time in 23 years, the country was upgraded by the rating agency Moody's at the end of 2025. The Olympic Games also provided a noticeable boost to the economy.
Northern Italy is considered the industrial heartland of the country. Strengthened by major financial and service centers like Milan and Bergamo, the Lombardy region alone accounts for 22 percent of Italy's economic output. The region boasts a dense research landscape and serves as a hub for international trade across the Alps and through its important seaports in Genoa and Trieste. In the Emilia-Romagna region, nestled in the triangle between Modena, Bologna, and Parma, lies the world-famous "Motor Valley," home to the headquarters of Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati, Ducati, and Dallara. However, the focus here has long since shifted beyond sports cars to an increasingly competitive ecosystem of highly specialized suppliers, engineering service providers, and mechanical engineering companies. Consequently, similar transformation processes to those seen in Thuringia are shaping the current economic development of this region.
A tangible example of this is the "e-building" opened by Ferrari in Maranello in 2024, where combustion engines, hybrid powertrains, and electronic components are manufactured. Furthermore, the increasing number of initiatives in the European defense industry demonstrates that industrial transformation also affects resilience and security-related capabilities.
Italian and Thuringian companies face similar challenges, particularly regarding the shortage of skilled workers, high energy prices, supply uncertainties, and competitiveness. These parallels motivate efforts to further strengthen existing bilateral networks and establish new points of contact. To this end, a business trip to Northern Italy for the automotive industry is currently being planned.
