Genoa and Liguria Capital of the Sea Economy 2026

The 17 April 2026, starting at 9 a.m., the Cotton Warehouses in Genoa will host the second day of the “Genoa and Liguria Capital of the Sea Economy 2026 – The blue engine of economic and employment growth”, promoted by Confindustria together with the Ligurian Confindustria system and dedicated to the role of the blue economy as an engine of economic and employment growth.

The initiative will focus on the strategic contribution of the‘economy of the sea development of the country, with a debate between institutions, representatives of the production world, the port system, companies, universities and stakeholders in the sector. At the centre of the work were three key guidelines: simplification, innovation and training, indicated as decisive levers to strengthen competitiveness and employment.

The morning will be opened by institutional greetings, with speeches by Marco Bucci, President of the Liguria Region, and Silvia Salis, Mayor of Genoa followed by the speeches of Raffaele Fitto, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission, and a contribution from the President of the Council Giorgia Meloni. Also scheduled is an interview with the President of Confindustria Emanuele Orsini and an intervention by Mario Zanetti, Confindustria Delegate for the Economy of the Sea.

Three panels are scheduled. One dedicated to the theme “Simplifying to compete: updating the rules for the blue economy” which will involve the main players in the maritime, logistics, nautical and energy sectors. This will be followed by a second discussion entitled “Innovate to grow!” and will focus on investment, industry, the underwater dimension and development prospects for the sector. Finally, the third panel, “People and skills for the future of the Sea Economy”, Instead, it will delve into the issue of training and human capital.

The day will also feature speeches by the Minister of Labour and Social Policies Marina Elvira Calderone and the Vice-President of the Council of Ministers Matteo Salvini. The closing will be entrusted to the handover ceremony of “Naples and Campania capitals of the sea economy 2027”. David Parenzo will moderate.