The initiative, promoted by the Lombardy Region, in the frame of the Catalan Presidency, aimed to present AREXPO and its main project MIND, currently in progress in Milan, with the purpose of introducing the Lombardy experience, exchange best practices, and share the interest in possible future collaborations among similar entities in the four regions partners.
AREXPO, a public majority-owned company, proposes a new model of urban regeneration, as MIND has the main objective of the socio-economic and sustainable development of the area that hosted EXPO 2015, with the creation of a research and innovation district and an urban reality that can be fully exploited by the community, thanks to the largest public-private partnerships in Italy.
Based on the legacy of EXPO 2015, AREXPO can already count on a global network of relationships, and it is interested in further implement it with new collaborations at international level.
The presentation, with the openings and kick-off by the Undersecretary for Relations with International Delegations of the Lombardy region, Mr. Alan Christian Rizzi, was given by Mercedes Lucchini, together with Valeria Baroni, from the Communication, Marketing, and International Relations Division of AREXPO and by Matteo Marinelli, from Lendlease Innovation Team, the private partner in this operation.
The Four Motors for Europe had then the opportunity to be informed about the features of the project, also regarding the model of the Federated Innovation, the MIND educational project, and to possible frame of international collaboration, such as a Memorandum of Understanding, currently in use between AREXPO and partners abroad (i.e., the recent collaboration undersigned with the Ministry of Economy and Innovation of Québec, with focus on innovation, research, and urban regeneration).
All the partners showed great interested in the meeting, which was participated by all the four regions from corresponding ministries and other administrative units, as well as from interested institutes, research centers, and others.
The meeting ended with a short debate and with the availability for further updates on the project, in view of possible future exchanges and collaborations.