Grand Duchy of Luxembourg

The cooperation between institutions started in 2020, but it was preceded by a long-standing collaboration in the tourism sector.  In June 2021, the President of the Emilia-Romagna Region, Stefano Bonaccini, was invited to Luxembourg on the Italian Republic Day and met with numerous members of the local government and institutions. The aim of his visit was to strengthen cooperation between Emilia-Romagna and the Grand Duchy in the economic, digital and innovation fields, with a particular focus on tourism and on the attraction of investments. In particular, Stefano Bonaccini met with the Minister of Tourism Lex Delles, the Minister of the Economy Franz Fayot and the Minister of Finance Pierre Gramegna, as well as with the heads of the Chambre de Commerce du Luxembourg and the government agency Lux Innovation. He also visited the technology centre in Bissen, which already has a close cooperation with the Tecnopolo of Bologna, and the University of Luxembourg, where he met the Rector to discuss the potential for academic cooperation with the University of Bologna.

In May 2022, a delegation of journalists from Luxembourg travelled to Emilia-Romagna with a view to discovering and then promoting not only tourism and local food and wine, but also other sectors (Data Valley, Motor Valley, etc.). The goal of the visit was to consolidate the already excellent relations between the various local entities and to develop further cooperation in the tourism and commercial fields.

In June 2022, a delegation from the Emilia-Romagna Region visited the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. During the four days of work, the Region, together with the Italian Government represented by the ambassador, presented to the ministries and various businesses of Luxembourg the areas of work in which it is most active: agricultural innovation, aerospace industry, digitalisation, ecological transition, circular economy, sustainable energy sources, tourism.

Innovation experiences in Emilia-Romagna and concrete developments with counterparts in Luxembourg were at the centre of the round table on new technologies. The event was also attended by Francesco Ubertini, president of the International Foundation Big Data and Artificial Intelligence for Human Development (IFAB), which was initiated by the Emilia-Romagna Region, and of Cineca, the consortium of Italian universities.

The meetings in Luxembourg resulted in concrete proposals for action: the creation of an international aerospace observatory focusing on materials, satellite technologies and the development of manufacturing companies in this sector, in particular the Emilia-Romagna supply chain; an agreement between the Italian Big Data Association and the Luxembourg-based Luxprovide; the participation of start-ups from Luxembourg in Match-ER, a regional programme that brings together innovative companies and start-ups from all over the world; and events to promote tourism, culture, and food and wine in the two regions.

Relations and opportunities are favoured by the direct Luxembourg-Bologna air link, operated by the national airline Luxair. The promotion of tourism and gastronomy was the focus of events such as “The true Italian Taste” and “The week of Italian cuisine in the world”.

Both Regions participate in trade fairs and promotional events, and Emilia-Romagna intends to act as a platform for the meetings industry. The conference and events sector is indeed an important factor for the development of local economies.

From 26 to 28 October 2022, the Emilia-Romagna Region hosted both a political and technical delegation, led by the Prime Minister of Luxembourg, Xavier Bettel. Other participants included the Minister of Tourism Lex Delles and representatives from the Chambers of Commerce, businesses, universities of Luxembourg and its supercomputing centre.