Representing Australia with pride were Allan Pidgeon and Federica Marinatto, respectively the president and secretary general of the Italian Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Queensland and Northern Territory (ICCI QLD & NT). Their participation once again underscored the Chamber’s strong commitment to strengthening economic, cultural and institutional ties between Italy and Australia, while promoting new opportunities for Italian and Australian businesses alike.
This year’s convention took place against a backdrop of global geopolitical tensions and uncertainty, making the role of the Italian Chambers abroad even more crucial as instruments of “economic intelligence”.
Mario Pozza, president of Assocamerestero, emphasised that the “new geopolitics of export” demands ambitious and coordinated efforts to support the development of local regions, communities and businesses long term.
The CCIE network continues to be a strategic player in interpreting international market trends, collecting data, offering training, providing consultancy services and guiding Italian businesses in their international expansion. In 2024 alone, the Italian Chambers abroad facilitated over 300,000 business contacts, engaging more than 160,000 companies and actively supporting internationalisation across key sectors such as agri-food, fashion, tourism, mechanical engineering, healthcare, construction, transportation and the green economy.
During the convention, significant attention was devoted to the Destinazione Calabria project, featuring B2B meetings, thematic conferences and high-level networking activities designed to showcase Calabria’s entrepreneurial and cultural excellence.
The official dinner held in the stunning setting of Palazzo Arnone, in the heart of Cosenza’s historic centre, served as a symbolic celebration of Italian identity and its global potential, as well as an invaluable opportunity to strengthen relationships and create new synergies between the Chambers and the economic players in attendance.
ICCI QLD & NT contributed fully to this environment, bringing the perspective of a dynamic organisation that has long worked to foster trade relations between Italy and Australia, promote the value of Made in Italy and encourage Australian businesses to engage with the Italian market.
“Globalisation 2.0 must start from business communities,” explained Pozza, “and the network of Italian Chambers worldwide is ready to serve as a point of reference for this transformation.”
With a network of over 21,000 members, 88 per cent of whom are local businesses that view Italy as a strategic partner, the CCIEs stand out as a privileged platform for tackling the challenges of international trade. The involvement of ICCI QLD & NT at the convention thus represented not only an institutional presence, but an active contribution to this vision of collaboration, growth and global exchange.
The event reaffirmed the key role of the Chambers as engines of development and dialogue between economies and highlighted the importance of building alliances and expertise for a new era of internationalisation.
