(by Elisa Cecchi).
Labor Minister Giuliano Poletti
has said that the six-month Milan Expo 2015, kicking off on May
1 next year, is ''a winning bet'' and could be ''the spark that
ignites the flame'' for employment and investment in
recession-hit Italy.
In an Expo-themed edition of State broadcaster Rai's talk
show Porta a Porta this week, Poletti stressed that the 2015
World Fair was ''an opportunity'' Italy needed to take to speed
up recovery.
Presenting the Italian pavilion at the talk show, Expo
President Diana Bracco expressed the wish that ''our building
will represent all of Italy's beauties'' and that it will
succeed in making visitors fall in love with the country and
come back.
''The objective is to have a stable tourism in the long
run'', said Bracco.
At present, 6.5 million tickets have been sold to tour
operators worldwide and organizers are hoping to attract some 21
million visitors.
A record-breaking 53 countries have pavilions under
construction or approved to be built at the fair and overall
some 140 nations will be participating.
Bracco announced this week that Italy's pavilion will host
an exhibit on 'Food of Desires' focusing on local excellence.
The pavilion will also showcase the stands of farmers'
association Coldiretti and industrial employers' confederation
Confindustria.
After the Universal Exposition, the Italian pavilion could
become the ''Palace of Innovation'', Bracco explained, adding
that talks are ongoing on the final destination of the site at
Milan's massive Rho Pero exhibition center after the fair wraps
up.
Last month, the Expo president announced that the
food-themed event ''has already attracted one billion euros in
foreign investments, an important result''.
Some 350 million euros have also been raised from
sponsors.
Italian food industries are hoping to see multiple
spin-off economic benefits from Expo.
Italian food exports grew by a record 7% last year over
2012 - offsetting a 4% drop in domestic demand - to reach 26.2
billion euros, part of the total turnover of 132 billion euros
of the Italian food industry, according to data from
Federalimentare, the Italian food industry federation.
The Expo's theme, Feeding the Planet: Energy for Life,
focuses on fighting famine and malnutrition worldwide through
sustainable development, global cooperation and new technology -
while celebrating global culinary cultures.
Meanwhile, Microsoft and ''Friends of the US Pavilion
Milano 2015'', the organization in charge of the US site on
behalf of the State Department, announced on Thursday that the
software giant will provide financial and technical support to
the 'American Food 2.0' pavilion at the Expo.
''Next year (Microsoft Italy) will focus all its activities
on Milan with various initiatives, as well as trying to attract
further investment,'' said Microsoft Italy CEO Carlo Purassanta.
The objective is to ''show how technology and innovation
are contributing towards meeting the global challenges connected
to food'', he explained.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © Copyright ANSA
