
Two days of discussion between institutions and experts on the transformations of urban spaces and the role of the tertiary sector
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The event is part of Confcommercio's Cities project, aimed at reflecting on the transformations of urban spaces in Italy.
The present and future of Italian cities and local economies are at the center of 'inCittà - Spaces that change, urban economies that grow', the national Confcommercio event, promoted as part of the Cities project, scheduled for Thursday 29 and Friday 30 October in Bari. Two days of discussion between institutions, businesses, the academic world, experts and civil society to reflect on the transformations affecting urban spaces in Italy and on the contribution of the market tertiary sector to local communities, not only in economic and employment terms, but also of service, care, security, identity and well-being.
The event will begin on Thursday 29 October, at Spazio Murat at 10.30am, with the opening of the proceedings by the president of Confcommercio, Carlo Sangalli. Among the participants on the first day were the executive vice president of the European Commission, Raffaele Fitto, the minister of Enterprise and Made in Italy, Adolfo Urso, the president of the Anci, Gaetano Manfredi, the mayor of Bari, Vito Leccese, the president of Confcommercio Bari-BAT, Vito D'Ingeo, the president of the Bari Chamber of Commerce, Luciana Di Bisceglie. The list of participants on the second day is also rich, including the general secretary of Confcommercio, Marco Barbieri, the minister for Public Administration, Paolo Zangrillo, the president of the Jacques Delors Institute, Enrico Letta, the president of the Puglia Region, Antonio Decaro, the president of the Marche Region, Francesco Acquaroli.

Confcooperative companies have invested 2.2 billion euros in sustainability and digitalisation. President Maurizio Gardini underlines the importance of such investments for competitiveness, while denouncing the excessive burden of bureaucracy.

The director general of the Bank of Italy, Paolo Angelini, highlighted the need for stable rules to encourage investments in the energy transition, underlining the role of the financial system in assessing risks and supporting the economy.

The Bwh Hotels group is transformed into the global masterbrand WorldHotels, unifying 18 brands and launching the new WorldHotels Rewards loyalty program in January 2027 for 70 million members, focusing on digital tools and greater international appeal.

Pier Carlo Padoan will leave his position as president of the board of directors of Unicredit at the end of his mandate for personal reasons. The institute begins the search for a successor to ensure continuity.

Around 20 thousand non-exporting Italian companies could start activities on foreign markets. This was revealed by a Unioncamere-Tagliacarne study centre, highlighting greater productivity and propensity to invest for those who export.

According to Istat data from August 2026, industry turnover drops in economic terms by 0.9% in value and 3.5% in volume. On a trend basis it grows in value (+4.2%) but falls in volume (-2.9%).