Back to the Rimini Fair from 5 to 8 November, for its 27th edition, Ecomondo 2024, annual trade fair leader in the green and circular economy sectors and meeting point and dialogue between industries, stakeholders, policy makers, opinion leaders, local authorities, the world of research and institutions. A melting pot that brings together the key elements defining the development strategies of the European Union’s environmental policy. Sustainability and ecological transition are strategic issues for the competitiveness of Italian companies so much that they will be at the center of the debate organized by the Italian Exhibition Group (IEG). For the occasion, the exhibition layout of the Rimini Fair will be renewed and expanded: there will be two new pavilions, which will debut at Ecomondo, with an exhibition area of 137thousand square meters.

If the 2023 edition was a record, for 2024 there are all the prerequisites to have significant numbers: on the other hand in 2023 Italian exports exceeded 660 billion Euro, With a pull of the sustainability segment and for this year forecasts speak of a further increase of 10% and 14.1% on average in the next two years.

Despite the criticism coming from the Italian government, Ecomondo 2024 confirms an event with an international vocation and the European Green Deal’s policies are at the center of the debate. Delegations from 120 countries, 60 international sector associations and partnerships with more than 100 foreign specialist journals are expected. The best practices "Made in Europe" will be the heart of the event.

There will also be an opportunity to look at the challenges of sustainability and those of "green" socio-economic development in the African continent: among these is the Mattei Plan of the Italian Government which aims to strengthen the partnership between Italy and the African countries with an investment of 5,The EU’s Fifth Framework Programme for Research and Development. The fair will provide an opportunity to understand what the strategic role of the private sector could be and what opportunities could arise from the five pillars: education, health, agriculture, water and energy.

The exhibition will be structured in six macro areas:

• waste as a resource;
• water cycle & blue economy;
• circular & regenerative bio-economy;
• bio-energy & agroecology;
• sites & soil restoration;
• environmental monitoring & control.

There will be five exhibition districts dedicated to projects aimed at vertical industries: the Textile district, the Paper district, the Blue economy area, the Innovation district where 30 start-ups are expected in the Start-Up & Scale-Up area and the Green Jobs & Skills project, It will also address the world of youth and Gen Z.

There will be a focus on current topics such as big data, artificial intelligence and predictive systems for ecological transition and management of the effects of climate change. Alongside these, the New Space Economy for environmental monitoring and earth observation and Agriculture 4.0 will be discussed.

The programme of conferences, seminars and events, coordinated by the Scientific Technical Committee, will cover a range of technological, regulatory and market issues. Finally, at Ecomondo 2024 will be staged again this year the States General of Green Economy, organized by the Sustainable Development Foundation, promoted by the National Council of Green Economy, in collaboration with the Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security.

Blue economy

One of the main topics of discussion this year will be the Blue economy. Moreover, with more than 7,500 km of coastline, Italy has the potential to be a global leader in the Blue Economy, which contributes about 70 billion euros to the national economy and employs over 400,000 people, according to the latest EU report. This sector, which enhances marine and coastal resources in a sustainable way, offering raw materials, energy, food and tourism, contributing to the conservation of biodiversity.

The Blue Economy or Sea Economy includes traditional sectors such as fisheries, aquaculture, maritime transport and coastal tourism, and emerging sectors such as marine renewable energies, such as offshore wind energy and blue biotechnology, robotics and artificial intelligence. Enabling sectors include ports, communication networks, training and education, governance and maritime planning. Coastal and maritime tourism in particular remains a major employment sector, followed by fisheries and aquaculture where sustainable resource management is crucial.

"The Blue Economy -explains Alessandra Astolfi, Director of the Green & Technology division at IEG- is vital for our sustainable future, Investment in low-emission technologies and sustainable management of marine resources are crucial to maintaining and expanding its positive impact.' Today, Liguria and Sicily are distinguished in Italy for the Blue Economy: Liguria, thanks to shipbuilding and port network, has an annual turnover of 5 billion euros, Sicily, supported by tourism and maritime transport, follows with 4.5 billion Euros.

In addition to Liguria and Sicily, regions such as Emilia-Romagna, Tuscany, Campania, Puglia and Veneto also represent significant poles in the Italian Blue Economy, each with a turnover of almost EUR 3 billion or more, distinguished by its solid port infrastructure and maritime tourism. Other regions contribute significantly, but with lower turnover: Sardinia (2.9 billion Euros), Friuli-Venezia Giulia (2.7 billion), Calabria (2.4 billion), Lombardy (2.2 billion) and Piedmont (2 billion). 

The Blue Economy is worth around 1.3 trillion Euros globally and is expected to double by 2030. In Europe, it generates around 665 billion euros of turnover, representing 5% of the EU’s GDP, and creates almost 5 million jobs. Italy, along with Spain and Greece, is among the leading countries for jobs in coastal tourism and has a strong presence in fishing and aquaculture.