Bari e Barletta-Andria-Trani have been designated Capitals of Enterprise Culture 2026 by Confindustria. The award was conferred by the President of Confindustria, Emanuele Orsiniat the General Assembly of Confindustria Bari and BAT.

Mario Aprile, President of Confindustria Bari and BAT

A programme spread across business, culture, schools and communities

Throughout 2026, the Bari metropolitan area and Puglia's sixth province will be animated by a rich calendar of free events open to citizenship, designed to strengthen the link between business, culture, school, community and territory. The programme includes meetings, performances, podcasts, initiatives in schools and participation in literary and film festivals, with a kick-off planned for February with a major event dedicated to imagining the world in 2046.

The passing of the baton from Naples to Apulia

During the ceremony, the President of Confindustria Bari and BAT, Mario Aprilepicked up the baton from Costanzo Jannotti Pecci, President of the Industrial Union of Naples, title-holding city in 2025. This is the second time that the award has been given to a territory in the South, confirming the economic vitality that the South has demonstrated in recent years.

An initiative that enhances local economies

The initiative, promoted by Confindustria from 2019, involves one or more associations each year in the enhancement of local economies, with the aim of generating new projects and synergies. "In 2026 we will make Bari and Barletta-Andria-Trani the capitals of entrepreneurial knowledge - says Aprile - to say that business is not just an economic engine, but a place for dialogue, for creating culture and a future for the territory'.