Liguria has a consistent industrial reality composed of approximately 138,000 companies, most of which are situated in the province of Genoa, the industrial motor of the whole region.

Thanks to the presence of internationally prestigious Universities, Liguria can boast one of the highest education levels in Europe with roughly 5,800 degree graduates a year and an annual university population of roughly 35,000 students. Its research system includes more than 100 public and private research centres, among which those related to the fields of nanotechnology and intelligent systems are of particular national relevance.

The most strategic sectors of its economy are ICT and the whole high-tech area (biotechnologies, mechanical engineering, computer systems, electronics and telecommunications). Logistics have always been a territorial speciality, given the Regione Liguria’s key role in national and European transport and logistical systems.

AVAILABLE INCENTIVES

Liguria has an active Integrated Intelligent Systems District, with job opportunities for more than 300 researchers and a grant of 60 million euros provided by public funds and capital invested by the region’s managing company in charge of financing research and development activities.

Also in support of Innovation development, a new regional law envisages the creation of a Research Coordination Centre and a rotating fund of 10 million euros available for companies needing to finance new research projects, with tax breaks for small and medium-sized industries.
The Regional government intends to facilitate the constitution of closed-end funds, private equities, and funds for participating in risk capital, as well as participative loan concessions to enterprises on its territory.

The presence of a dynamic banking system, and of Ligurcapital S.p.A., whose scope is to promote the constitution and development of new companies in Liguria via a Participative Loan Fund, together with initiatives on the part of industrial associations, such as Capitalimpresa S.p.a, complete the picture of incentives available for supporting innovative enterprises in Liguria.

>> Regione Liguria website