Innovation and energy policy between Switzerland and Italy
Since the establishment of the Italian state in 1861, Switzerland and Italy have enjoyed traditionally good relations, characterised by intense economic, political, human and cultural ties, a common language and frequent visits at all levels. In 2011, together with the 150th anniversary of the Unification of Italy, the 150th anniversary of bilateral relations between the two countries was also celebrated.
Bilateral relations between Switzerland and Italy are based on a complex body of treaties. Representatives of the governments and administration of the two countries meet regularly. The most important institutionalised channels include the economic dialogue, the dialogue on cross-border cooperation and the “Forum for dialogue between Switzerland and Italy”. The two countries also have regular exchanges on topical international issues and cooperate in multilateral bodies. There are also institutionalised contacts between the two parliaments. The last state visit by an Italian president took place on 20-21 May 2014, when Giorgio Napolitano visited Switzerland.
About 550,000 Italian citizens live in Switzerland, of whom about 220,000 have dual Swiss-Italian citizenship and represent the largest foreign community in the country. Italians in Switzerland are an important social factor in relations between the two countries and contribute, among other things, to increasing the importance of the Italian language in Switzerland.
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Energy policy
On 29 April 2022, Federal Councillor Simonetta Sommaruga had a videoconference with the Italian ministers Roberto Cingolani and Enrico Giovannini in which energy, climate and transport policy was discussed.
With the Minister for Ecological Transition Roberto Cingolani, Federal Councillor Simonetta Sommaruga discussed energy supply in particular. The two ministers discussed ways of cooperating in the gas sector, against the background of Italy’s efforts to break its dependence on Russian gas and the Swiss gas industry’s plans to secure the country’s supply.
In the field of electricity, Simonetta Sommaruga and Roberto Cingolani discussed various topics relating to the exchange of electricity between Switzerland and Italy and the European legal framework. The stability of the electricity grid was the focus of the discussions. Italy and Switzerland have common interests in energy policy. As far as the supply of gas and electricity is concerned, the two countries are closely linked, if only for reasons of geography and network interconnection.
Accelerating the Zurich-Milan route
The Head of DETEC discussed cross-border cooperation with Transport Minister Enrico Giovannini. Switzerland and Italy are preparing a memorandum of understanding that defines the first joint steps towards climate-neutral mobility for the transport of persons and goods with a time horizon of 2050. The aim is to sign the document in 2023.
Afterwards, the two ministers discussed efforts to reduce the length of the Zurich-Milan rail journey to three hours, as envisaged in the objectives of the new rail lines through the Alps. Connections between Switzerland and Italy have improved significantly with the opening of the new Ceneri base tunnel in 2020. Switzerland now hopes that a third track will be built on Italian territory between Cantù and Camnago to reduce journey times.
Simonetta Sommaruga and Enrico Giovannini also discussed the situation in the Great St. Bernard Road Tunnel. The two ministers intend to carry out safety work. In particular, the ventilation slab along the entire length of the tunnel is to be renewed.
First Innovation Day
The President of the Swiss Confederation, Ignazio Cassis, together with the authorities from Zurich and Ticino, launched Innovation Day on 29 April 2022. A train trip along the route from Zurich via Ticino to Milan provided an opportunity to shine a spotlight on the innovation network in Switzerland and beyond. The Head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) visited the Innovation Park in Dübendorf and the Technopole Ticino in Manno. At the end of his trip, he attended the official opening of the House of Switzerland in Milan, where he met two representatives of the Italian government: Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio and Minister for Technological Innovation and Digital Transition Vittorio Colao.
The trip by the President of the Swiss Confederation as part of the first Innovation Day highlighted the connection between regions and collaboration between innovation poles as key elements in creating the innovation ecosystems of the future in a sustainable manner. Ignazio Cassis was accompanied by a high-level delegation comprising Carmen Walker Späh, Member of the Cantonal Government and Director of the Department of Public Economy of the Canton of Zurich, Christian Vitta, Member of the Cantonal Government and Director of the Department of Finance and Economic Affairs of the Canton of Ticino, Michael Hengartner, President of the Federal Institute of Technology, Joël Mesot, President of the Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, and Monica Duca Widmer, President of the University Council of Southern Switzerland.
The journey began in Zurich, a leading university and Switzerland’s most important economic metropolis. Together with Carmen Walker Späh, the President of the Swiss Confederation went to the Dübendorf Innovation Park, where he visited the drone hangar and met local start-ups. The next stop was the Tecnopolo Ticino in Manno, where the head of the FDFA and Christian Vitta highlighted Ticino’s innovative strength and academic excellence, as well as its unifying role as part of the Greater Zurich Area.
The final destination was the capital of Lombardy, one of Switzerland’s most important neighbouring regions and a major economic driver for Italy and Europe. In Milan, Ignazio Cassis participated in the inauguration of the House of Switzerland. In the presence of various representatives of the economic, scientific and political worlds of both countries, including the Swiss visionary Bertrand Piccard, a round table on the future of innovation took place in the House of Switzerland. The round table was organised in collaboration with the ‘Milano Innovation District’ (MIND), the new Lombardy innovation hub located within the perimeter of Expo 2015.
The House of Switzerland., organised by the FDFA in cooperation with Switzerland Global Enterprise, Switzerland Tourism and Pro Helvetia, is a temporary networking and communication platform that will open its doors in the immediate vicinity of the dynamic Brera district from 26 April to 12 June to promote the visibility of Switzerland in Italy. The House of Switzerland is a place where new and surprising innovative themes are given ample space and thus offers the ideal context for deepening and broadening the dialogue on common perspectives and new collaborations with such an important neighbour and partner as Italy.
During the “Milan Design Week” in June, the House of Switzerland will be the stage for world-famous Swiss design. Thanks to the participation of universities, institutions, selected brands and recent Swiss design studies (the latter presented by Pro Helvetia), it will be possible to experience the varied panorama in this sector.
Switzerland is the country with the greatest capacity for innovation
Bilateral meetings with Italian ministers Di Maio and Colao
At the opening of the House of Switzerland in Milan, the President of the Swiss Confederation held bilateral talks with Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio. The talks focused on current international affairs. During his talks with Minister Di Maio, the Head of the FDFA reiterated Switzerland’s interest in stabilising and developing the bilateral path with the EU in order to maintain good and regulated relations in the interests of both parties, and outlined the main points of the negotiating package proposed by the Federal Council.
Together with the Italian Minister for Technological Innovation and Digital Transition Vittorio Colao, the President of the Swiss Confederation discussed the strategies adopted by the two countries to implement the digital transformation and the implications for global governance. The meeting also discussed the strengthening of the UN and its Geneva office in this area, as well as the importance of scientific diplomacy and the role of the Geneva Science and Diplomacy Anticipator (GESDA) foundation.
Source: https://www.admin.ch/