Prince Albert II joined Italian and Monégasque business leaders at the Hôtel Le Méridien Beach Plaza on Friday 13th March for the inaugural Italy-Principality of Monaco Entrepreneurial Forum, an event that drew representatives from more than 200 companies and underscored the deepening commercial ties between the two countries.
The forum was opened by Prince Albert II and Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, who participated via video link from Rome after being unable to travel to Monaco following an attack on an Italian military base in Erbil, Kurdistan, on Thursday. In his address, Tajani highlighted the strength of economic integration between the two countries, pointing to Italian exports reaching €643 billion in 2025, a rise of 3.3%.
Monaco’s Minister of Finance and the Economy, Pierre-André Chiappori, outlined the state of the Monégasque economy, noting that GDP has reached €10.28 billion, an increase of 8.8%, and highlighted the significant flow of trade and the presence of Italian businesses and workers in the Principality. Italian Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Maria Tripodi described Monaco as an extraordinary international showcase, noting that around 2,500 companies linked to Italian citizens operate on Monégasque territory.
Institutional speakers
The institutional portion of the programme also featured Barbara Cimmino, Vice-President of Confindustria; Matteo Zoppas, President of the ICE Italian Trade Agency; and Manuela Ruosi, Italian Ambassador to Monaco.
The plenary session, themed around innovation and sustainability in the Italy-Monaco economic partnership, brought together Ludmilla Raconnat Le Goff, Monaco’s Delegate for Attractiveness, alongside representatives from Cassa Depositi e Prestiti, Simest and SACE.
Sector panels
The afternoon session moved into four sector panels covering areas of strategic interest to both countries. The first examined Italian luxury excellence in Monaco, with a focus on interior architecture, jewellery and fashion. A second panel addressed tourism, hotels and restaurants. The third explored the yachting economy, in which Italy and Monaco are closely intertwined, with contributions from Palumbo Superyacht and Monaco Yacht Temptation. The final panel covered the financial sector, including private equity and family office, with speakers from EFG Bank Monaco and CMB.
Working lunches and B2B meetings between attending companies followed the morning programme.
The forum was organised by the Italian Embassy in Monaco and promoted by Italy’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs in collaboration with the ITA Italian Trade Agency, the Prince’s Government and Confindustria Imperia.
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Photo credit: Andrea Cabiale