Information and Business Center of St. Petersburg in Milan was opened on the initiative of the Committee for External Relations of St. Petersburg with the support of the Municipality of Milan.
The opening ceremony was held at Milan Chamber of Commerce and Industry on 18 September 2018 as a strategic business session with the emphasis for the Center’s objective to solve certain business tasks.
The Event was attended by members of the official delegation of St. Petersburg, Consulate General of the Russian Federation in Milan, Trade Representation of Russia in Italy, the Municipality of Milan, public organizations and business representatives from St. Petersburg and Milan.
Roberta Guaineri, Assessor for Tourism, Sports and Quality of Life of the Municipality of Milan, and Elena Fedorova, Deputy Chair of the Committee on Industrial Policy and Innovation of St. Petersburg, welcomed the participants of the ceremony.
At the business session directions of mutual interest for the cooperation between St. Petersburg and Milan were presented as well as areas that offer good prospects for implementing joint projects. In particular, transport and tourism sector, light industry, fashion and creative industries were presented. Members of the St. Petersburg delegation presented potential of St. Petersburg in the above-mentioned areas and successful business cases at the session. Representatives of St. Petersburg Design Week, MUDEC Museum of Milan, Planetarium 1 and other participants outlined the most relevant and promising areas for business cooperation between companies of St. Petersburg and Milan.
Experience of MOBY SPL Italian Company that operates ferry service between St. Petersburg and the Baltic capitals of Tallinn, Stockholm and Helsinki was presented as a successful example of mutually beneficial cooperation.
Art Spaces representatives and organizers of modern art exhibitions presented their projects and ideas that could be implemented with the participation of Information and Business Center in an effort to expand communication between St. Petersburg and Italy.
Representatives of St. Petersburg fashion industry companies and Milan fashion business discussed bilateral communication and mutual participation in the light industry events that are held annually in St. Petersburg and Milan.
As the Italian participants noted, they believe that launching Information and Business Center in Milan is a timely and deliberate move of the St. Petersburg leaders based on the current market conditions. The Italian side is interested in cooperation with Russian companies as production in Russia is cheaper compared to Europe, while providing good quality. The domestic business is, in its turn, seeks to increase its share of the international market.
The priorities of the Information and Business Center of St. Petersburg in Milan are as follows:
- promoting contacts and joint projects of St. Petersburg and Milan business representatives;
- promoting competitive technology and products manufactured in St. Petersburg into the Italian Republic market;
- promoting the interests of St. Petersburg in the Italian market;
- attracting major investors to St. Petersburg market using direct investment, bank and commodity credits as well as public and private capital. Among other things, the Center’s objectives include monitoring and predictive analysis of promising markets.
Information and Business Center of St. Petersburg in Milan is in close cooperation with representatives of Russian and Italian trade and business community: Trade Representation of Russia in Italy, Italian-Russian Chamber of Commerce, Confindustria Lombardia and others.
Information and Business Center of St. Petersburg in Milan contact info: address: Via Benigno Crespi 19, Mac4, 20159 Milano, Italia, phone: +39 3282111355, e-mail: centro@sanpietro-italia.com
Reference: Friendly ties between Leningrad and Milan were established in 1961. Decision on official establishing ties was taken in 1967.