The first day of the Apulian delegation in Toronto, Canada concluded yesterday during the Clash event, the fastest growing technology conference in North America that brings together key players in the technology world.
Apulian delegation led byCouncillor Regional economic developmentDigital Transformation Manager Vito Pavaro and technical experts from Puglia Sviluppo and Puglia Promotion, along with ten startups and SMEs involved in digital technologies, representing half of the total national delegation.
Companies of the Apulian Group, carefully selected by the organizers of the event, participated in btob meetings with potential investors.
“In recent years – announced as a councilor for economic development – the Puglia region has stimulated, facilitated and accompanied the development of startups, attracting investments in Puglia by foreign companies and attracting young entrepreneurs to the region for many years in other countries. Today Puglia is the eighth region in Italy, in terms of the number of startups and innovative SMEs, in the south and the third and second place, respectively. There are 682 startups, including 114 innovative SMEs. Participating in this clash, thanks to the cooperation of ICE, represented an opportunity we could not miss, promoting our excellence, their innovative ideas and management skills, and a country that represents Canada as an enterprise and Strengthen business relationships Italian companies interested in increasing their exports or internationalizing their production “The most attractive market in the world.”
Exchanges between Puglia and Canada are significant and characterized by a growth trend in exports.
In 2021, the region’s trade with Canada (exports + imports) exceeded 447.37 million euros. In the first quarter of 2022 (latest data available) the value of trade was 53.823 million euros, the positive balance of Puglia (never recorded in the last decade) was 11.107 million euros, which means that exports exceeded imports by this amount. (Source Ice Agency).
On the same day, the Apulian delegation met with representatives of the City of Toronto and Cory Mulvihill, vice president of the Mars Discovery District, the largest innovation hub in North America that hosts 1,400 startups in an urban center.
The day ended with a meeting with the Consul General of Italy in Toronto, Eugenio Scro, with whom a meeting was held with the Apulian Associations in Canada.
“A short but intense stay – concluded the commissioner – thanks to what we have sown a lot. The meeting with the Apulian associations in Ontario and Quebec has been of great value to us. In fact, together with the Puglia promotion, these associations are not only representatives of the “Paglecita” in the world, but also one that allows us to maintain a strong sense of belonging to our community. Extraordinary fact, we work to create conditions, but also catalysts for the Apulian economy and potential investments. True ambassadors of Puglia, capable of intercepting opportunities for their fellow citizens and for their land.
Today, before departure, the delegation will meet with managers of the DMZ (Digital Media Zone), one of the main technology start-up incubators in North America. It was actually recognized as the world’s first university archive by UBI Global.