31st October 2025 – Cittadella delle Imprese
The cooperation between the Italian and Estonian delegation continues in Taranto within the framework of the just transition: the bridge of innovation between the Baltic and the Ionian seas. The Taranto – Ida Viru JTF Cooperation event, represents a key moment for the collaboration between Italy and Estonia. Promoted by CTE Calliope, the meeting on 31st October 2025 open to the public at Cittadella delle Imprese, will focus on dialogue between institutions and businesses, featuring the signing the Memorandum of Understanding and parallel sessions on governance, sustainable development, and innovation.
The aim is to strenghten existing relationships, share best practices, and define joint actions for a green transformation of the territories, capable of connecting the Baltic and Ionian Seas through research, entrepreneurship and international cooperation.
Citizens, students, researchers and businesses who wish to attend the event can register here
Prosegue a Taranto il percorso di cooperazione tra le delegazioni italiane ed estoni nell’ambito della Transizione Giusta: il ponte dell’innovazione dal Mar Baltico al Mar Ionio. L’evento Taranto – Ida Viru JTF Cooperation segna un momento chiave nel percorso di collaborazione tra la nazione italiana ed estone. Promosso da CTE Calliope l’incontro del 31 ottobre 2025, aperto al pubblico presso la Cittadelle delle Imprese, sarà dedicato al dialogo tra le istituzioni e imprese, con la firma ufficiale del Memorandum of Understanding e sessioni parallele su governance, sviluppo sostenibile e innovazione.
L’obiettivo è consolidare le relazioni avviate, condividere buone pratiche e definire azioni comuni per una trasformazione green dei
territori capace di connettere il Baltico e il Mar Ionio attraverso la ricerca, l’imprenditorialità e la cooperazione internazionale.
Cittadini, studenti, ricercatori e imprese che volessero prenotarsi all’evento possono registrarsi al link
AGENDA
Plenary Session
• 09:00 –10:00 | Welcome Coffee
• 10:00 –11:00 | Joint Opening
All participants (companies and institutions) attend the official welcome and opening remarks at Cittadella delle Imprese, Taranto. High-level representatives from Apulia Region, Taranto municipality, and the Ida-Viru delegation will set the stage and outline the day’s objectives.
o Vincenzo Cesareo, President, Chamber of Commerce of Brindisi-Taranto
o Mattia Giorno, Deputy Mayor, Municipality of Taranto
o Salvatore Toma, President, Confindustria Taranto (Taranto industrial Association)
o Vito Rocco Peragine, Vice-Rector of the University of Bari Aldo Moro
o Fabio Mastrapasqua, Executive, Innovation Support Policies Service, Apulia Regional Government
o Meelis Kusk, Executive Director, Association of Local Authorities of Ida-Viru County
o Margus Ilmjärv Regional Office Manager, Estonian Chamber of Commerce and Industry
o Jefim Aljoskin Senior Consultant, Ida Viru Enterprise Center
o Raffaele Parlangeli, Department for Cohesion and Southern Policies
Session A: Institutional Delegation (Municipalities & Government)
This session continues at Cittadella delle Imprese, focusing on policy and JTF experiences. The A and B sessions will take place in parallel at the same venue (another hall at Cittadella delle Imprese).
• 11:00 – 12:00 | The local institutions role in the Just Transition – Panel
Institutional delegates discuss the role of municipalities in the Just Transition, sharing concrete challenges and strategies. The Municipality of Taranto presents its transition journey, followed by responses from Ida-Viru representatives to compare experiences.
o Fabio Mastrapasqua, Executive, Innovation Support Policies Service, Apulia Regional Government
o Giovanni Gugliotti, Extraordinary Commissioner of the Port System Authority of the Ionian Sea – Port of Taranto
o Vito Gregorio Colacicco, Extraordinary Commissioner of Taranto Local Healthcare Autority
o Mattia Giorno, Deputy Mayor, Municipality of Taranto
o Meelis Kusk, Executive Director, Association of Local Authorities of Ida-Viru County
o Margus Ilmjärv Regional Office Manager, Estonian Chamber of Commerce and Industry
• 12:00 – 12:30 | From Agreement to Action – Defining Joint Initiatives
A synthesizes ideas from Day 1’s discussions and identifies priority joint actions going forward.
o Rodolfo Sardone, Executive – Healthcare Authority of Taranto, Scientific Director – House of Emerging Technologies CALLIOPE
o Lauri Jalonen, Senior Consultant, Ida Viru Enterprise Center
o Ruggiera Sarcina, Director for Italy, Italian chamber of Commerce in Canada
Session B: Business Delegation (Companies)
This session offers companies a dedicated program focusing on Italy’s business environment, local support networks, innovation linkages, and direct B2B networking. The A and B sessions will take place in parallel at the same venue (another hall at Cittadella delle Imprese).
• 11:00 – 11:30 | Business Climate & Opportunities – Overview Session
A briefing tailored for the visiting companies on the current Italian business climate, investment opportunities, and economic trends. This session (led by an economic development expert or Chamber of Commerce representative) will highlight both regions business environment. For context, Italy has been gaining investor confidence and is seeing improvements in innovation and
sustainability, which attract foreign investment. The talk will underscore sectors of growth in Taranto/Apulia, incentives for businesses (including those supported by the Just Transition Fund), and practical information for entering the Italian market. Some examples of international cooperation.
o Carlo Gadaleta Caldarola, Economist and Project Manager, ARTI Puglia – Regional Agency for Technology, Technology Transfer and Innovation
o Jefim Aljoskin Senior Consultant, Ida Viru Enterprise Center
o Ilaria Bortone, Founder – APS Public Health Environment and Social Equity – PLANET
• 11:30 – 12:30 | Meet the Business Support Ecosystem – Introductions & Networking
A series of short introductions by key business support organizations and innovation hubs in Taranto and Apulia. This may include representatives from: the Taranto Chamber of Commerce (illustrating services for investors and local businesses), Confindustria Taranto (the industry association,
describing how it supports enterprises), and local entrepreneurship centers/incubators. In particular, several innovation initiatives will be showcased:
• Lucia Minutello, Vice-President with responsibility for Research and Innovation, Confindustria Taranto
o DIPAR – Productive District for Environment and Reuse: The District promotes, supports, and encourages regional development initiatives and programs aimed at strengthening competitiveness, innovation, internationalization, the creation of new and better jobs, and the growth of the companies that are part of it.
• Lorenzo Ferrara, President, DIPAR – Productive District for Environment and Reuse
o Taranto Technopole Foundation: A new innovation hub bridging academic research and industry (e.g. focusing on technology transfer and startup incubation in Taranto’s post industrial transition).
• Antonio Messeni Petruzzelli, President, Technopole Foundation of Taranto
o CTE CALLIOPE – The House of Emerging Technologies in Taranto: Taranto’s emerging technologies hub promoting One Health innovation (integrating health, environment, and tech) and supporting startups in these fields.
• Feliciana Catino, Project Officer, CTE CALLIOPE
o BaLab UniBa: BaLab is a contamination lab — a creativity laboratory aimed at fostering the development and cross-fertilization of innovative entrepreneurial ideas. It has three locations: Bari, Taranto, and Noci.
• Domenico Centrone, Service Manager, Department of Humanities Research and Innovation
o BinP Boosting Innovation PoliBA is the incubator promoted by the Polytechnic University of Bari, supported by PoliBA, ANCE Bari-BAT, and Confindustria Bari-BAT. It is active in fostering entrepreneurial projects, startups, spin-offs, and open innovation strategies to support the local ecosystem.
• Vito Conversano, Digital Transformation Consultant and Innovation Manager, BinP
o FAROS Blue Economy Accelerator: Italy’s first startup accelerator dedicated to the blue economy, with a hub in Taranto. FAROS supports innovative startups in maritime technology, port logistics, marine environmental solutions, and more, which is highly relevant given Taranto’s port and marine economy.
• Anas Anjrini, Impact Acceleration Manager, FAROS Accelerator
o TONDO – Circular Economy Network: A platform and non-profit that promotes circular economy innovation. Tondo has organized forums like “Re-think Taranto” to connect startups, industry, and institutions around sustainability.
• Francesco Fumarola, Head Of Partnerships / Co-founder, TONDO
o ENI’s JOULE Program: ENI’s enterprise school and startup accelerator program focusing on sustainable business. Joule fosters local startup development and has facilitated innovation bootcamps in Taranto, sparking collaboration between startups and established companies.
• Giulia Catalani, Refining Evolution and Transformation, Eni JOULE Program
Each organization will briefly describe how it supports business growth (mentorship, funding, facilities, training) and how foreign companies can tap into these networks. This session gives the Ida-Viru companies direct contacts in the local ecosystem and illustrates successful business-science synergies (e.g. startups spun out of research). It sets the stage for deeper
dialogue in the afternoon.
Plenary Session
• 12:40 – 13:00 | Memorandum of Understanding Signing Ceremony
Leaders of the participating institutions formally sign the cooperation MoU. The MoU will be signed by the key institutions to solidify the partnership (ensuring the Chamber’s involvement as a signatory, given its role in supporting businesses). A group photograph will follow to commemorate the
agreement.
o Vincenzo Cesareo, President, Chamber of Commerce of Brindisi-Taranto
o Mattia Giorno, Deputy Mayor, Municipality of Taranto
o Salvatore Toma, President, Confindustria Taranto (Taranto industrial Association)
o Meelis Kusk, Executive Director, Association of Local Authorities of Ida-Viru County
o Margus Ilmjärv Regional Office Manager, Estonian Chamber of Commerce and Industry
o Jefim Aljoskin Senior Consultant, Ida Viru Enterprise Center
o Lauri Jalonen, Senior Consultant, Ida Viru Enterprise Center
o Antonio Messeni Petruzzelli, Technopole Foundation of Taranto
o Fabio Mastrapasqua, Executive, Innovation Support Policies Service, Apulia Regional Government
o Carlo Gadaleta Caldarola, Economist and Project Manager, ARTI Puglia – Regional Agency for Technology, Technology Transfer and Innovation
Outcome: The institutional track yields a signed MoU (formalizing the collaboration) and a clear roadmap of joint initiatives for the Just Transition.
• 13:00 – 14:30 | Networking Lunch
The business delegation reconvenes with the institutional delegation for a joint networking lunch.
This lunch, possibly with media presence, is an opportunity for informal B2B mingling and for companies to also interact with the visiting officials. (By this time, the MoU signing will have concluded, so news of the formal partnership can be celebrated during lunch.)
• 14:30 – 16:00 | B2B Matchmaking Session – Organized by Local Incubators. The afternoon is dedicated to business-to-business meetings between the visiting Ida-Viru companies and Italian companies (primarily from Taranto/Apulia) in relevant sectors. These matchmaking sessions will be
facilitated by the local incubators and accelerators introduced earlier – BINP, CTE Calliope, FAROS, Tondo, and Joule – leveraging their networks to invite a curated group of Italian firms (approximately 20 companies) that align with the interests of the Ida-Viru delegates. For example, if some visiting companies are in clean energy or IT, the organizers will ensure Italian counterparts in those fields are present. The session may open with brief remarks or guidelines from the incubator representatives, then proceed as scheduled one-on-one or small-group meetings (speed-networking format).
Rationale: This structured B2B event allows companies to forge concrete connections and explore partnerships or business opportunities. Notably, these local innovation actors (CTE Calliope, FAROS, Joule, etc.) have experience in bringing together startups and established firms for networking – as seen in recent Taranto forums where they hosted roundtable discussions between Joule’s startups and local enterprises. Building on that model, the matchmaking will ensure each Ida-Viru company meets multiple Italian counterparts to discuss collaboration, joint ventures, supply chain links, or
knowledge exchange. The presence of incubator staff will help moderate introductions and capture follow-up actions (e.g. potential MOUs between companies or participation in accelerator programs).
• 16:00 – 16:30 | Closing and Next Steps. To conclude the companies’ program, a short wrap-up gathering will be held. Companies can share quick feedback or key takeaways from their meetings.
The organizers (incubators or chamber representatives) will summarize any immediate outcomes – for instance, mutual interest areas identified or invitations for further visits. Importantly, next steps will be outlined, such as how companies can keep in touch (a contact list or online group) and
upcoming opportunities (e.g. a planned trade mission or a follow-up B2B event). The goal is to ensure momentum from the newly formed connections continues beyond the Taranto visit.
The event will be held in English. To facilitate seamless communication for all participants, real-time translation services will be provided.