PartnershipPartnershipItaly~UK Year X, Issue 1

March 2009

Italian Chamber of Commerce & Industry for the UKItalian Trade Commission, London. Italian State Tourist Board, London

with the patronage and support of the Italian Embassy, London.

The Importance of InnovationPlus: Frosinone at IFE 09

Italy beats France as biggest wine producerLa Dolce Vita – join us at London’s finest Italian Show

Joint Quarterly Magazine on Trade, Investments, Tourism and Events.

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2 MARCH 2009

ITALY~UK PARTNERSHIP

Editorial Committee: The Italian Embassy London:

First Economic Counsellor, Stefano Stefanile.www.embitaly.org.uk

The Italian Chamber of Commerce & Industry for the UK: Leonardo Simonelli Santi,

Barry Walker, Helen Girgenti and Christian Fianco.

North-West Branch: Stefania CoralloScottish & Northern Ireland Offices:

Immacolata Scirpoliwww.italchamind.org.uk

Italian Trade Commission:Fabrizio Di Clemente.

www.ice.it

Italian State Tourist Board: Valerio Scoyni, Alessandra Smith,

Stefania Gatta. www.enit.it

Advertising: Helen Girgenti, Giuseppe D’Emilio,Italian Chamber of Commerce & Industry for the UK,

Tel: 020 7495 8191 email: helen@italchamind.org.uk

Published by: Italia UK Limited, 3 Brooklands Place, Brooklands Road,

Sale, Manchester M33 3SDTel: 0161 976 1212

email: admin@italiauk.net

Circulation: 13,000 copies sent free of charge to members of the Chamber and a broad range

of companies dealing with trade, investment and tourism between Italy and the UK.

Front Cover: Finmeccanica – Developing ideas

Inside this issue:

03 Editorial

04 Trade

06 British Foreign Trade and UK

08 Tourism

10 Activities and Events

14 New Members

16 News from the North

18 News from Scotland

Italy~UK Partnership

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The Importance of Innovation

There are many approaches in trying to find viable solutions to contrastthe crisis that gets deeper everyday. It seems that no one has themagic answer but more and more the importance to provide viable

and long term possibilities of sound economic activity rely on investmentsin infrastructure and innovation. In fact the answer especially for developedcountries is to be more efficient and competitive.

Therefore it is important to underline the history of success of companieswhich have pursued this objective also before the crisis and who haveobtained very good results. At Partnership we always stress the importanceof innovation and have tried to enlighten also the Italian contribution withthe work of Italians abroad and in particular in the UK.

We were very pleased to participate to the organisation of a presentationof co-operation between the Polytechnic Torino and prestigious Britishresearch centres and the award given in Edinburgh by Finmeccanica forthe technology breakthrough achieved by the company and its suppliers.Furthermore, due to the participation of the Chamber to the EuropeanBusiness Awards, it is very encouraging to see that some companies stillhave courage to invest and have faith in the future. We are glad thatamongst these companies there are also Italian ones. In the progress ofinnovation it is not essential the size of the company but the quality andcommitment so even small Italian companies can give big contribution.

MARCH 2009 3

Fabrizio Di ClementeDirettore Italian Trade Commission London

Leonardo Simonelli SantiPresidentItalian Chamber of Commerce and Industry for the UK

Valerio ScoyniDirettoreItalian State Tourist BoardLondon

Editorial

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IFE – the biennial Food and Drink Exhibition -returns to the Excel halls in London in themiddle of March and is looking likely to be asuccessful show for the Italian exhibitorsparticipating…

The Italian pavilion organised by the Italian TradeCommission will again occupy nearly 1000m2 in the North Hall and accommodate over 70 Italiancompanies and numerous regional agencies andtrade organisations from Abruzzo, Marche and Latiumtogether with Consortia for Gorgonzola and GranaPadano cheeses, all presenting the gastronomicdelights of their regions.

IFE is the largest food and drink trade show in theUnited Kingdom and is considered to be one of thebest food events in the world. It attracts some 26000visitors every year from the manufacturing, catering,retail and wholesale sectors to view over 1200companies from the whole food and drink spectrumexhibiting meat products, frozen foodstuffs, bakeryand dairy products, wines and spirits and soft drinksin fifteen dedicated product sections.

This year, the show focuses on innovation andculinary achievements with special areas devoted tohealthy eating for children, future trends in naturalproducts, organics and wellbeing and other key

Trade: Large Italian presence to Excel at IFE 09

4 MARCH 2009

issues affecting the future of the food and drinkindustry. Pro2Pac, the popular show highlightinginnovative packaging solutions, machinery andmaterials complements the main event.

The wide variety of products on display in the Italian pavilion includes cakes and confectionary,a bewildering array of cheeses and charcuterie,coffees and mineral waters, specialist olive oils andorganic products, preserved fruits and jams, frozenproducts and fresh pastas, ready meals , sauces andvegetable spreads, vinegars and vegetables includingtomato products and pulses. Last but not least, theagricultural produce is complemented by a largedisplay of wines , spirits and mouth watering liqueurs.

Despite the current economic gloom, the show isexpected to be well attended and the Italianexhibitors are looking forward to an enthusiasticresponse to the products on display.

The Italian Trade Commission, in collaborationwith Toscana Promozione, hosted a doubleevent featuring the best of the wines fromTuscany held at the Dorchester in London inlate February.

A tutored tasting of a selection of award-winningwines was conducted by Sally Easton Master ofWine and Barbara Tamburini, Oenologist and Winemaker for sixty invited sommeliers, Masters of Wine and journalists. This was followed by a fullworkshop for over 350 specialists from the wineand spirits trade.

Tuscan wine tour at the Dorchester

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The wines being tasted were presented by seventy -five of Tuscany’s top producers and werechosen from the Eighth Selection of the Wines of Tuscany Wine Tasting competition whichinvolved over 800 samples from over 1200 labels.They were expertly judged last October in Siena by an oenological panel over three days of tasting.The intention of the competition was to raiseawareness in the quality and variety of Tuscanwines and to involve more and more of theproducers in the region to promote their winesinternationally.

The award winning wines from the Eighth Selectionof the Wines of Tuscany are currently beingpresented in a worldwide tour which began inJanuary in the United States and, after London,will continue with Vinitaly in Verona , Prowine inDusseldorf and Vinexpo in Bordeaux .The tour willalso travel through China and Japan before it returnsto Italy via Poland and Scandinavia.

The wines included both red and white winestogether with excellent dessert wines from the

region.The geographical distribution of wines in thearea is clearly defined with Siena and Florence inpole position – Siena boasts over 34% of all selected wines with Florence following with 26%.The remaining 40% is distributed amongst theremaining provinces.

An interesting feature of the selected wines this timewere the number of vineyards headed by bothwomen and young individuals which give greatencouragement for the future of the Tuscan wineindustry. In this sector, 162 labels and over 95 companies were recognised for award status.

The Dorchester workshop was the second time thatthis had been held in the UK featuring the Wines ofTuscany and it was clearly apparent that the successof this year’s event means that the workshop willbecome a regular feature in the presentation ofItalian wines in the UK and will be eagerlyanticipated by the drinks trade, Masters of Wine,and professional journalists in the industry.

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China and Hong Kong (6.46% - £37,966 million),Ireland (5.18% - £30,447 million), Belgium (4.85% -£28,493 million), Norway (3.98% - £23,402 million)and Italy (3.91% - £22,948 million).

The total import-export trade between Italy andthe United Kingdom in 2008 has shown a slightincrease (+5,51%) in the total value of goodsexchanged. Italy remains the 8th supplier of theUnited Kingdom (4,04% of the total value of Britishimports) and the 8th buyer of British goods (3,73%of British exports), In terms of kinds of goods, in2008 machinery & transport equipment (36% oftotal exports) and manufactured goods (21% oftotal exports) have confirmed to be the traditionalareas of strength of Italian exports to the UnitedKingdom. A significant increase of imports ofItalian food and beverages to the UK (beverages &tobacco +29.56%. food and live animals +25,30%)has also been evidenced.

Trade flows from the UK to Italy show an increasein the exports of food and live animals (+14.38%)and chemicals & related products (+8.58%), and a decrease in exports of machinery & transportequipment (-2.41%).

(Study edited by the Economic Department of the Italian Embassy in Londonfrom data issued online by the UK National Statistics / UK Trade).

British foreign trade and UK – Italy import-export tradeThe most recent data published by the UK NationalStatistics Office show that in 2008 the total Britishoverseas trade in goods amounted to £587,350million, with an increase of 10.68% compared to theprevious year.

Total UK imports. estimated in £ 340,001 million,increased by 9.41% compared to the 2007 values,whereas total UK exports, amounting to £ 247,348million, increased by 12,47%. This resulted in a further increase in Britain’s trade deficit, that rose to £92,653 million (+1.99%).

With regard to geographical distribution, in 2008the United Kingdom’s main trade partners havebeen the 27 EU countries (53.82% of the totalgoods exchanged, for a total amount of £316,119million), The Asia & Oceania region has taken up15.85% of the world total (£93,115 million) with an increase of 11.51% from the previous year,while the North America region has totalled 12.82% of the UK world total trade (£75,285 million).There has been a significant increase in overallimport-export trade with Western Europeancountries who are not EU members (+23.80%) andwith South America (+29.99%).

In terms of total value of goods exchanged, theleading commercial partner of the United Kingdomis still Germany (12.36% - £72,599 million). The othermain commercial partners are the United States(10.96% - £63,326 million), The Netherlands (7,52% -£44,145 million), France (7,08% - £41,599 million),

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008

UK Imports 252,674 272,293 301,964 310,758 340,001

UK Exports 190,548 211,756 243,821 219,919 247,348

Total 443,222 484,049 545,786 530,677 587,349

Balance -62,126 -60,537 -58,143 -90,839 -92,653

UK Trade – February 2009. amounts in million pounds £

Import-Export 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 %Trade Between variationsItaly and the UK 2007-2008

Exports to Italy 8,333 8,743 9,465 9,102 9,218 +1.27

Imports from Italy 11,952 11,935 12,549 13,188 13,730 +4.11

Total 20,285 20,678 22,014 22,290 22,948 +2.95

Balance for Italy 3,619 3,192 3,084 4,175 4,512 +10.44

UK Trade Statistics – February 2009. amounts in million pounds £

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extremely important tobe advised by a lawyerwho not only fullyunderstands thejurisdictions involvedand who can deliver thebest solution to suit your unique position.

There are often no easy answers to the financial aspectsof divorce. Under the present gloomy climate the safestcourse of action in these circumstances is to choose alawyer who will make every attempt to reach anagreement which is mutually acceptable prior to acourt hearing to ensure that there is no furthershrinkage of the ever shrinking assets.

Sarah Wood-Heath ofGiambrone Lawspecialises in the fullrange of work under thescope of matrimonial/family work dealing withdivorces, co-habitationissues financial andproperty disputes arisingfrom the breakdown of a relationship and allmatters involving child related disputes includingboth private and public child proceedings.Sarah is also experienced in applications forSpecial Guardianship Orders and injunctions.Tel. 020 7353 6800

Struggling with your DivorceSettlement?There is a distinct possibility that the credit crunch willcreate a “sea change” in the type of settlement thathusbands and wives will be asking for in future divorcecases. There is a queue of Variation Order casesstemming from the reduced circumstances that thepreviously affluent City workers now find themselves inand are therefore seeking to claw back some the of themoney awarded to their ex-spouses in their divorcesettlement. These test cases are expected to be heardby the courts in a matter of months.

The law states that if an event occurs which could notbe predicted it is possible to ask for the settlement tobe reviewed to reflect the impact. However, the bigquestion will be how predictable was the currenteconomic downturn? In such a volatile market and withorganisations collapsing which were previously held tobe extremely sound, by the time a settlement is at thepoint of being finalised the financial landscape mayhave changed radically. The assumption of extremelylarge bonus payments, commonplace in the financialsector, looks set to be a thing of the past as publicopinion is forcing this sector to re-think this practice.The courts will also have to consider that if and whenthe global economy claws its way out of the presentrecession, will it be acceptable for the settlements to bere-instated if a former spouse enjoys a resurgence oftheir good fortune in the years to come? Or will a morecautious attitude prevail?

If there is a cross-border aspect to the divorce thesituation can prove to be even more complex. It is

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surrounded by visual aides and new informationproduced by the multidisciplinary research project'Galileo's Telescope'.

www.palazzostrozzi.org

Information 0039 055/2645155

Opening hours: Daily 09.00am – 08.00pm;Thursday 09.00am – 11.00pm

Last admission to the exhibition one hour before closing

Admission: full €10,00; reduced €8,50 €8,00 €7,50schools €4,00

Press Office:Fondazione Palazzo Strozzi - Palazzo Strozzi,piazza Strozzi 50123 Firenze

T +39 055 2776461 F. +39 055 2646560

E-Mail l.rinaldi@fondazionepalazzostrozzi.it

Sue Bond Public Relations - Hollow Lane Farmhouse,Hollow Lane Thurston, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk IP313RQ, UK T. +44 (0)1359 271085 F. +44 (0)1359 271934 E-Mail sue@suebond.co.uk

Promotion:Susanna Holm – Sigma CSCT. +39 055 2340742 E-Mail: cscsigma@tin.it

Italian State Tourist BoardAlessandra Smith-Press Officer

From the World OF Tourism – A New Exhibition in Florence

In 2009, the year in which theworld celebrates the 400thanniversary of Galileo's inventionof the telescope and therevolutionary celestialobservations that paved the wayto modern science, Palazzo Strozzihosts a major internationalexhibition that looks at the

extraordinary human and intellectual adventure thatbrought about the current vision of the Universe.

The exhibition tells how the Universe was imagined and represented from antiquity to Galileo, in the history and culture of the Mediterranean and European civilizations.

A fascinating itinerary that begins with the mythical andpoetical visions of the Greeks, the exhibition continueswith the ingenious celestial spheres of Eudox and thespectacular celestial architecture of Ptolemy, andconcludes with the revolution of Copernicus.The theme is extraordinarily illustrated by workingcosmological models specially created for the exhibition,exceptionally beautiful and ingenious scientificinstruments, drawings, designs, paintings, sculptures,archaeological finds, atlases, illuminated manuscripts.

The exhibition also explores the complex relationshipbetween astronomy and astrology. A special sectiondedicated to the invention of the telescope presentsthe only original instrument known to be by Galileo,

“Galileo. Images of the universe from antiquity to the telescope”

Florence, Palazzo Strozzi, March 13 –August 30, 2009Organisation: Fondazione Palazzo Strozzi

Museo della storia della scienza Curator: Paolo Galluzzi and Giorgio Strano

Events in Italy Spring 2009DISCOVER “IL MASSIMO” Museo Nazionale Romano-Palazzo Massimo – RomaDecember 19th 2008 – 7th June 2009www.pierreci.it For the ten years of activity in Palazzo Massimo, the “Soprintendenzaspeciale per i beni archeolgici di Roma” set an exhibitiondisplaying some awesome pieces, recently again available afterlong years of restoration, some of them extraordinarily lent byprestigious European Museums. Among them: the frescoes fromVilla Doria Pamphilj colombarium; a portrait of Marcellus, thefavorite nephew of Augustus, displayed for the first time; and thepaintings from Patron tomb, masterpieces lent for this particularoccasion by the Louvre.

CREATIVITY WITH COLORSMuseo Salvatore Ferragamo – FirenzeSeptember 1st 2008 - August 2009www.ferragamo.comThe theme of the exhibition that celebrates the re-opening of theSalvatore Ferragamo Museum is color in the footwear of SalvatoreFerragamo, works of art that speak through their colors and marktheir true identity. Eleven years on from its inauguration in 1995,the Museum is being enlarged and moved down to the pillared,cross-vaulted basement, in parts of the building that still show itsmediaeval origin.The Museum hosts until March 31st the clothesand shoes used in the film “Australia”.

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AKHENATON FARAONE DEL SOLE Bricherasio Palace – TurinFebruary 27/June 14, 2009 www.palazzobricherasio.itAn exhibition dedicated to Egypt during

the rein of Amenophi III and Ramseys II and in particular to Akhenaton, the Pharaohconsidered an heretic as he introduced the cultof the deity Aton who substituted Arnon.

GALILEO. IMAGESOF THE UNIVERSEFROM ANTIQUITYTO THETELESCOPEStrozzi Palace – FlorenceMarch 13 – August 30, 2009 www.palazzostrozzi.orgOn the occasion of The International Year of Astronomy, Strozzi

Palace plays host to an exhibition dedicated to Galileo and hisastronomic discoveries thanks to the telescope.The InternationalAstronomers Union has organized many events worldwide tocelebrate a science that helped shape our culture, conscience and the evolution of our lives.

FESTIVAL PIANISTICO INTERNAZIONALEARTURO BENEDETTI MICHELANGELIBrescia-Bergamo26 aprile/13 giugno 2009 www.festivalmichelangeli.itOne of the most important festivals in the world that is dedicatedto the piano, takes place at the Teatro Grande in Brescia and theTeatro Donizetti in Bergamo. Every year there is a theme aroundwhich the concerts rotate, thus making up a path which fromtime to time focuses on one author, one historical period, or onecultural environment.The 46th Edition will investigate the musicalareas suggested by the title “Route to the Orient”. From Bach toChina”.

TURIN MARATHON TorinoApril 19, 2009 www.turinmarathon.itTogether with the Turin Marathon, the Stratorino and the JuniorMarathon will also take place on April 19.This year the marathonresumes its original track through the towns of the metropolitanarea and ends along Corso Francia.

ST. ANTHONY’S OF PADUAMARATHON PadovaApril 26, 2009 www.maratonasant-antonio.comOver the years, this sporting event hasgained international exposure.To celebrateits 10th anniversary and in an effort toincrease the number of participants theCamposanpietro-Padova half marathon was added.

Stefania Gatta – Press Office - Italian State Tourist Board

CANOVA. THE CLASSICAL IDEAL INSCULPTURE AND PAINTING Musei San Domenico – ForlìJanuary 25th – 21st June 2009www.mostracanova.euWith over 160 masterpieces of Canova, the exhibition, which isthe second most challenging and comprehensive exhibition ofthe artist’s work after the one held in Venice in 1992, aims attracing the career of the outstanding sculptor through a series ofexemplary masterpieces.The exhibition focuses for the first timeon the relationship between sculpture and painting.

EGYPT SUNKEN TREASURES La Venaria – TorinoFebruary 7th – May 31st, 2009 www.egitto-tesori-sommersi.itThe Egypt. Sunken treasures exhibition will open in Juvarra’sScuderie at Venaria Reale from February 7 to May 31, 2009:it is the only Italian appointment for the international exhibitionof over 500 archaeological artifacts from Alexandria, Heracleionand Canopus, ancient towns in the Nile Delta which sank sixmeters under the level of the Mediterranean in the first centuriesof the Christian era.

FUTURISM. AVANGUARDIA-AVANGUARDIE Scuderie del Quirinale – RomaFebruary 20th, - May 24th, 2009www.pierreci.itTo mark the 100th anniversary of the Manifesto published byFilippo Marinetti in Paris daily Le Figaro on 20 February 1909, theScuderie del Quirinale, devotes a major exhibition to Futurism tocelebrate the movement’s historical and international role.Theexhibition will be bringing together a remarkable number ofworks from the early futurism period and will explain the culturalties and relationship between Cubism and Futurism.

I DELLA ROBBIAMuseo Statale d’Arte Medievale e Moderna – ArezzoFebruary 21/June 7, 2009 www.mostradellarobbia.itArezzo plays host to an event in which its art is stronglyconnected to the territory. I Della Robbia, with its glass coatedterracotta, left its traces of its beauty in churches, in palaces and in the architecture of Tuscan cities.The exhibition will displayroughly 140 pieces of never before seen artwork along withpieces of Luca Della Robbia’s Opera, considered an innovator ofhis time.

THE ARTIST TRAVELLER. FROM GAUGUINTO KLEE, FROM MATISSE TO ONTANIRavenna - February 22/June 21, 2009 www.turismo.ravenna.itThe exhibition organized by the City Art Museum of Ravenna isintended to recall the artistic journeys of some of the mostimportant painters that travelled and lived outside Europe anddrew inspiration by the other 4 continents.

MARCH 2009 9

Events in Italy Spring 2009 – continued >

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10 MARCH 2009

Italian Networking Evening with VantisThe evening hosted by Vantis in their Wigmore Street officeincluded a brief presentation from some of Vantis' tax expertson the changes from the 2009 Budget following the NovemberPre Budget Report and the planning opportunities available tominimise tax and improve cash flow.

2009 will be a difficult year for many businesses and cash flowwill be vital. Minimising tax costs and taking advantage of allthe tax breaks being made available during these times willhelp businesses fight the recession.

The evening provided a good networkingopportunity, whilst also offering helpful tax and business advice.

London Activities of the ChamberGregory Rowcliffe Milners SeminarThe networking 2009 events calendar of the Chamber inLondon commenced with a seminar generously hosted bymember Gregory Rowcliffe Milners. The subject ofdiscussion was “New Law for Business in the UK” andpresentations were made by Jan Hoppe, Caterina Iodice,Jane Laidler and Helena Ross. After a series of questions and answers there was the opportunity to network withmembers and staff of GRM.

truffles, the most valuable andperfumed products of theearth.The production of winehas also reached an excellentlevel, especially with theCesanese del Piglio DOC,a delicate and slightly bitter red and the Passerina IGT delFrusinate a fruity white with anapple and fresh straw perfume.The two wine companiespromoted have a production of Extra Virgin olive oil and

a Grappa made from Cesanese vines. During the exhibition thebuyers were able to taste all the products, which includedpickled vegetables, organic jams and vegetable sauces, andeven bottled water from clear natural spring water from themountains behind Frosinone.

Please find further information about the exhibition and aboutthe promoted companies on the events page of our website orcontacting mdadon@italchamind.org.uk

The Special Agency forthe Internationalizationof the Province ofFrosinone participated this year at IFE 2009, the Food & Drink exhibitionheld at Excel from 15-18th March andpromoted 10 producers of top qualitygoods from the area of Frosinone.A delegation of British buyers and members of the press visited the show and attended one-to-one meetings with thepromoted companies and appreciated twice a day a lovelybuffet lunch prepared with all the local delicacies.

The area of Frosinone is a province ofthe region of Lazio located south-east of Rome. Frosinone is situated in the Ciociaria vicinity, an area of Lazio whoseeconomy is still mainly based on agricultural activity.This regionhas a natural beauty thanks to the presence of mountains,woods, valleys, lakes and the proximity of the sea. Legend tellsthat the name "Ciociaria" derives from leather footwear called"ciocia", once worn by the shepherds.

Monuments that can be visited here are the ruins of the Roman Amphitheater, the municipal museum of Archeology,the Government Palace, and the Cathedral of Santa MariaAssunta. On the nearby Lake of Posta Fibreno, an interesting siteto visit is the very small island of roots and dirt which moveswith the wind.

The region is famous in particular for the production of freshBuffalo mozzarella cheese made from the milk of the domesticwater buffalo rather than from cow's milk. In the hills andmountains of Ciociaria are also extracted mushrooms and

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Perlato from Sicily, different cream, brown and red veinsfrom Verona, the Travertino and the green Acceglio from Cuneo. The varieties of slate most appreciated inthe British market are the grey-blue, the light green,the olive green, the grey-silver, the blue, the plum red,the green and the grey.

For further information on the stone industry in the UK and on the Event held in Trento please emaillfontana@italchamind.org.uk

The UK building stone industryIn collaborationwith TrentinoSprint, SpecialAgency for the

Internalization of the Province ofTrento we organized ‘FOCUS ON UK’,a presentation of the UK buildingstone industry and the Food &Drink industry which took placefrom 16-18th March in Trento.The United Kingdom is an importer of building stonesand has a structurally negative balance of trade. Irelandis the main destination of the British exports while theones towards Italy are minor and not statisticallydetectable. Europe has traditionally been the mainsupplier of building stones but its position has recentlybeen threatened by the rise of the imports from theEast. Italy, Spain and Portugal, leaders in the 1990s haverecently had to face the growing competition ofcountries that produce at a lower cost and that havemore flexible environmental laws.

Particularly important is the performance of Turkey,whose production of rough and finished marble and of natural stones is conquering new sectors of theBritish market.

China is currently the main supplier of slate and isgrowing in the export of granite and other stoneproductions towards the UK. India instead is leader inthe British granite market and is also achieving a leading role in the export of slate.

In the building stone sector, Italy in 2007 has exported to the UK a total of 219.500 tons for a total value of 79.8 million Euros. The export of Italian products in a year has decreased by 26% but has increased by 9% in value. At a European level, the UK is the secondimporter of Italian products after Germany and in theworld only China, Tunisia and The United States importmore Italian Stones. Italy remains the main exporter ofgranite to the UK with 46% of the total market.

The exports of rough and finished granite under 25cmhave decreased but the exports of finished granite over25cm have increased.

The main variety of marble exported to the UK are the white Carrara or Sicilian, the white Calacatta,The Botticino with pink and yellow tones from Brescia,

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These figures confirm the great success of Italianwines worldwide: Italy won the worldwide primacyin the wine production overtaking the traditionalFrench competitors. Indeed in 2008 the Frenchvintage ended with a decrease of 5% incomparison to the previous year: 44m hectolitres.

The recent data issued by Istat showed that Italianwine exports reached a value of 3,5 billion of Eurosfor the first time, thanks primarily to the demandfrom United States and Germany.

Facts and Figures According to UK Trade Info, in 2008 the UnitedKingdom imported £ 263,906,248 wines from Italy.The Bel Paese follows France with £ 976.479.317and beat Spain with £172.578.759.

Among the most imported Italian wines, we findthose from Veneto, the red and rose’ from Tuscanyand the wines from Trentino.

Italy Beats France as Biggest WineProducerWith over 1 million vineyards in production,accounting for one fifth of global production,Italy produced 48m hectolitres of wine in 2008(a 5% increase in comparison to 2007), 60% of thisharvest is in the production of Docg (41 wines),Doc (316 wines) and lgt (120 wines).

Coldiretti points out that Italian wine has regainedground also in the British market: in 2008 Italianwine exports to United Kingdom increased by 10% in value. The Made in Italy wine export trans-Channel are estimated to have exceeded half a billion Euros in 2008, with a clear taste forsparking wines. On the contrary, British consumptionof beer seems to be falling. According to the BritishBeer and Pub Association, the sale of beer reachedthe lowest level of the last ten years: consumptionfell by 8.3 % on the whole, with a drop of 9.9% insales in pubs.

Events not to be missed: Vinitaly and TuttofoodIn view of the above facts and figures, the Italian Chamber of Commerce and Industry for the UK wouldlike to encourage all trade operators from the UK to visit two of the most important Italian exhibitionsdedicated to wines and spirits:

� Vinitaly (www.vinitaly.it): international wine & spirits exhibition,Verona, 2 – 6 April 2009. It is possible to register on the official website to receive a Free Entry Pass. For further information:dcatavello@italchamind.org.uk

� Miwine (www.tuttofood.it): the pleasure of wine-tasting,Milan, 10 – 13 June 2009. The Chamber of Commerce is currently organizing a delegation of buyers from the UK and Ireland who will be hosted by Fiera Milano Internationalon the occasion of MiWine. For further information:mbarbano@italchamind.org.uk

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Welcome to New MembersPlease log on to our website www.italchamind.org.uk under the section

“Membership/Directory for full details and to download the full list of our members”

Think London LFCS – Limousine First Class Service

A family-owned vineyard estate andwinery in the Brunello region of Tuscany,Castello Banfi’s dedication to excellence inall aspects has won the approval ofaficionados the world over, capturinghonour after prestigious honour.A constellation of single vineyardsencompassing over three dozen varyingsubsoils, the Castello Banfi estate is renowned for its work toweave noble grape varieties with their optimal terroir.

Central to the property is a medieval castle that functions as a hospitality centre. Outfitted with 14 luxury rooms and suitesCastello Banfi – Il Borgo takes its name from the cluster of 18th century conjoined stone homes built alongside the fortress.The Castle and the surrounding Borgo host visitors at the finedining, Michelin-star Ristorante Castello Banfi and the morecasual Taverna Banfi, along with an enoteca, balsamic cellar.

Signature wines of the Castello Banfi estate, in addition toCastello Banfi Brunello di Montalcino, the cru Poggio alleMura and the single vineyard Riserva Poggio all’Oro, are fourproprietary cuvées, Excelsus, Summus, Belnero and Cum Laude.Several noble varietal wines, including Colvecchio Syrah,Fontanelle Chardonnay and San Angelo Pinot Grigio, are also produced there.

Contact: Mr Dante CecchiniTel: 0044 (0)7810 686 110www.castellobanfi.com

Burgo UK Ltd is the UK sales agent for Burgo Group Spa, the leadingSouthern European producer of graphic papers. Born in 2007 from themerger of Burgo and Marchi, the Burgo Group has a century of historywith 13 paper mills throughout Italy and one in Ardennes, producing 3 million tonnes of paper a year.

Burgo UK are responsible for sales of over one hundred thousand tonnesa year to paper merchants, printers and publishers in the UK and Ireland.

Contact: Mr MartinTel: 0044 (0)1908 440440Fax: 0044 (0)1908 440444www.burgo.com

Burgo Uk Ltd.

Think London is London’s official foreign direct investment agency.We are a not-for-profit private-public partnership and the experts on doingbusiness in the capital.We connect international businesses to London,helping them set up, succeed and grow. Our service is comprehensive,confidential and funded — and therefore free to our clients.

Contact: Ms Mary PalmerTel: 0044 (0)20 7718 5426Fax: 0044 (0)20 7718 5454www.thinklondon.com

Castello Banfi

Mission manages a prestigious leisure complex in theheart of Tuscany. Le Casacce Country Estate is locatednear the village of Seggiano, approximately 20 kmfrom Montalcino and 65 km south of Siena. Setamongst ancient olive trees overlooking the tranquilOrcia Valley, Le Casacce Country Estate is the idealcentre for exploring the art and gastronomic treasuresthat this most beautiful and romantic region of Italyhas to offer.

Based on a traditional Tuscan farm, olive press andwinery dating back to the early 1600’s, this uniqueresort consists of a group of carefully restored, typicalTuscan stone buildings, offering a range of 26 elegant,comfortable self-catering holiday apartments, whichaccommodate from 2 to 6 persons.There is also theoption of full hotel facilties available on site.

Ms. Catherine Esling212 Piccadilly W1J 9HG LondonUnited KingdomTel: 0044 (0)20 7917 1844www.lecasacce-tuscany.co.uk

Mission

Buy in Siciliy“Buy in Sicily” is the brainchild of Etna Immobiliare Real Estateagency to allow all foreign customers to buy a house in Sicily in all serenity. We select for you the best proposals for sale in Sicily,you can see from the comfort of your home the VIDEO of ourproperty. We accompany you step by step for the purchase of yourdream in Sicily.

Contact: Mr Fabrizio VitellinoTel: 0039 349 370 7563Fax: 0039 095 855 725www.buyinsicily.co.uk

Limousine First Class Service is a leading company in providing thefollowing services:

- Private Taxi - Buses- Limousine Service - Private Jet, Helicopter, Luxury boat- Chauffeur car rental business - Travel Agency - Minivan

We are operating especially in the area of Como Lake (Italy) – Varese (Lombardiaarea Italy) – Milano City & Lugano Lake & Mountains. On request we can alsotravel throughout the national territory and abroad. Our services are guaranteedfull time on a 24 hour basis.

Experience - Privacy - Flexibility – Highest Professionalism - High QualityServices give us the opportunity to provide you Best Services.

Contact: Mr Giovanni CasiraghiTel/Fax: 0039 031 200219 www.lfcs.it

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MARCH 2009 15

Welcome to New MembersPlease log on to our website www.italchamind.org.uk under the section

“Membership/Directory for full details and to download the full list of our members”

With over 150 partners and more than 1000 staff,Hill Dickinson offers a comprehensive range of legalservices from offices in Liverpool, Manchester, London,Chester and Piraeus (Greece). Our focus is to add value toour clients' commercial needs.

We are highly regarded for our company commercial andemployment expertise, and are a major force ininsurance. We have an award winning property practiceand the marine, trade and energy group is internationallyrenowned. We are widely regarded as a leader in the fieldsof commercial litigation, intellectual property,NHS clinical/health related litigation, media, sportslaw and private client.

We invest strongly in our client relationships ensuring the organisations we do business with benefit from a seamless and fully integrated service.

Contact: Laura MillanoTel: 0044 (0)16 1817 7200Fax: 0044(0)16 1817 7201www.hilldickinson.com

Hill Dickinson LLP

KMT Partner UK Ltd is a newly incorporated company (2006),born from a fusion of a group of professionals operating in theindustrial electromechanical and metal mechanic field havingspecific and long-term expertise in the field of Industrial ProjectManagement and Engineering for Logistics and IndustrialMaintenance in the shipping yards, shipbuilding industry, logisticterminal facilities, textile industry, power station and so on.

The core activity of KMT Partner UK Ltd is to provide a valuablepartner for industrial entities seeking for qualified assistance forindustrial management, maintenance and upgrading fortheir industrial sites, plants and infrastructure – which activity isbeyond the core business. Since the 90’s the evolution of todayindustry has pushed leading industries to downsize internaldepartments in favour of outsourcing and rationalisation ofindustrial maintenance, to achieve cost-effectiveness byoptimizing internal cost and management.

KMT Partner UK Ltd works on the English, Italian and Spanishmarket with a qualified management and engineer team thatmanage highly specialized international partners in the field ofindustrial engineering, such as electrotechnics,electromechanics, thermotechnics, as well as a wide variety ofassistance in industrial finance in terms of project planning,project financing, analysis and control of cost-control & cost-effectiveness of maintenance programs and statistical reports.

Contact: Mr Roberto CafagnaTel: 0044 (0)20 7618 6467Fax: 0044 (0)20 7900 3980/(0)20 7618 8001www.kmtpartner.co.uk

KMT Partners

NCTM - Avv. Pietro Maria Tantalo Exitor Group Ltd

Lawyer, partner of the law firm NCTM. He is specialized in corporate law, M&A and bankruptcy law. He resides in Italy and in the United Kingdom and works steadily in Rome, Milan andLondon. Mr Tantalo is chairman of MTM Advisors, a company locatedin Italy. He has held many offices in several state-owned and private companies as chairman, corporate secretary, member of the board of directors and also as provisional liquidator,special commissioner and temporary receiver.

Contact: Avv. Pietro Maria Tantalo

The Exitor Group Limited, act on behalf of its clientsassuming a role of company director and company secretaryproviding various services like accounting, bookkeeping,company administration, and similar duties alike.

Contact Person: Stefano GrisoniAddress: Suite 114,Warnford court,29 Throgmorton Street, London EC2 N2ATTelephone: 0044 (0)20 7374 9015Fax: 0044 (0)20 7638 5924Email: stefano.grisoni@exitorgroup.comWebsite: www.exitorgroup.com

Dott. Paolo Di Nardo’s Hausoffice was openedin 1990 and is one of the first real estateagencies dealing mainly with prestigiousproperties and apartments for sales and shortrentals in town and on the outskirts both inTuscany and Umbria.

Contact: Mr Paolo Di NardoTel/Fax: 0039 055 2381999www.hausoffice.it

Haus Office

The company PROGETECH is an Engineering company thatoperates in Italy and abroad for the design, the works and testingof sectors HVAC, Electrical, Fire, Alternative & Renewable Energy,Plumbing, Construction and Structural. Our many years ofexperience cover all areas in the following fields: Industrial,Tertiary, Hospital, Pharmaceutical, Residential and Logistics.

Sig. Antonio MiglioreVia Corrado II il Salico 20141 MilanoItalyTel: 0039 0236561120www.progetech.eu

Progetech

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16 MARCH 2009

News from the North

Enjoy the Sardinian experienceLast 6th March, The Italian Chamber of Commerce and Industry forthe UK in collaboration with Confindustria Nord Sardegna and theSardinian Region organized one day event in Manchester aimed atthe promotion of the Sardinia Island as a tourist destination.

Sardinia is a pearl in the Mediterranean, which has gained theadmiration of many civilizations over the centuries, irresistiblyattracted by its geographical position. Sardinia was dominated byPhoenicians, the Carthaginians, the Romans, the Byzantines, theSpaniards, having a profound influence on its language, culture,way of living and food, so every corner in Sardinia is rich in historyand traditions.

The Mother Nature had served up an enviable climate for this island.The sun shines in abundance over Sardinia, and gives emerald andblue nuance to the sea, an irresistible temptation for many month ofthe year.

Having all the warmth of hospitality, Sardinia knows how towelcome visitors.

Now it is much easier to reach Sardinia, thanks to many newflight routes available from the North West of England to thisbeautiful island.

North West : UK’s largest regional economyThe North West has the UK's largest regional economy with anestimated value of £ 111 billion making it the 12th largest in Europe.Manchester, voted “Britain’s Best City for Business” after London, andLiverpool, which was Capital of Culture 2008, are the major cities.Lancashire, with its great industrial past is reinventing itself withmodern manufacturing and advanced engineering; Cheshire ishome to some of the world’s most successful multinationalcompanies; and Cumbria is full of contrasts from its natural beautyto its skills in nuclear energy.

Home to some of the world’s most recognised brands and moreAIM- registered plcs than anywhere else in the UK outside London,the North West boasts more than 247,000 companies, approximately3,000 of which are overseas-owned.Three-quarters of the UK’s top100 companies have operations in the region, including Jaguar/Landrover and AstraZeneca. Other significant inward investors includeHandleman, Prinovis, Asahi Glass, Avis, Bosch, IBM and QVC, and a swathe of new Chinese investors.

The region supports a diverse range of sectors, including advancedengineering and materials; biotechnology and pharmaceuticals;financial and professional services; creative and digital industries;energy and environmental technology; and food and drink.

(source: Invest in the UK 2009)

Leonardo exhibition PRICELESS drawings by Leonardo DaVinci have arrived in Manchesterwhere they will go on public display for the first time at theManchester Art Gallery.

The works give a glimpse into the incredible mind of the all-roundgenius - including inventions centuries ahead of their time, detailedstudies of human anatomy, and flawless maps of his native Florence.

The drawings are normally stored in the library of Windsor Castle,part of thousands of artworks amassed by Britain's Royal family overthe centuries.

DaVinci excelled in sculpture, architecture, and painting as well asdisplaying amazing insights in virtually every field of science.Born in Tuscany in 1452, DaVinci produced hundreds of paintings,sketches and notebooks up until his death at the age of 67. As wellas masterpieces such as the Mona Lisa and the Last Supper, hissketches reveal incredibly advanced designs for inventions such as tanks, helicopter, and solar power.

The fragile chalk and ink drawings, which will be on display till May4, have to be kept in special conditions and have never been onlong-term exhibition.

The North-West goes beyond the crisis

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18 MARCH 2009

Press Conference: “Support andfunding opportunities available tocompanies and R&D centres inhigh-tech sectors in Piemonte,north west Italy”.On the 29th January the Italian Chamber of Commerce and Invest inTorino, Piemonte organized a press conference on support andfunding opportunities available to companies and R&D centres inhigh-tech sectors in the Piemonte region.The event, which was heldat the Balmoral hotel in Edinburgh, hosted speakers from PiemonteAgency and Istituto Superiore Mario Boella who outlined investmentopportunities in high value sectors including, biotech, nanotech, lifesciences and renewable energies. Piemonte is the Italian region withthe highest share of private R&D expenditure.There is strong capacityfor innovation with over 200 R&D centres, 380 labs, 3 universities, 6science and technology parks and several incubators. 1.7% of GDP isinvested in R&D, about 80% comes from the private sector.The regionis located in a strategic position right in the centre of one of the mostdynamic biotech areas in Europe.The strong skills existing in othersectors such as Ict, Electronics, and Nanotechnologies have favouredthe development of significant results and expertise in Bioinformatics,Diagnostics and Biomedical equipment. In addition, Piemonte is the2nd Italian region in terms of companies active in life sciences.

During the conference it has also been underlined the importance of the Regional contract as an efficient instrument to encourage the arrival and development in the area of new investments inindustry, research and services from abroad. After the conference,the guest and representatives of the Finmeccanica UK were hostedto dinner by Leonardo Simonelli, President of the Italian Chamber of Commerce.

News from Scotland

An Italian Pavilion withinGardening Scotland 2009For the third year running the Scottish Branch of the Italian Chamberof Commerce will organise an Italian Pavilion within the InternationalVillage of Gardening Scotland, the area reserved for national standsaims to promote awareness of each countries own food specialities,drinks and tourism to a wide audience.

The Scottish Branch aims to bring to its Italian Stand an authentic mixof Italian products and tourism promotion to give the visitor a touchof Italy.The event will take place from the 29th - 31st May at the RoyalHighland Centre in Edinburgh. For more information on the eventand on the possibility to take part to the Italian Stand please contactImma Scirpoli at the Scottish Branch: tel/fax 0044 (0)131 225 3306 e-mail scotland@italchamind.org.uk

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26-29th March 2009 • Olympia London

La Dolce Vita brings you a true taste of Italy in London: authentic food, great escapes,

exquisite homes and legendary Italian style.

For more information call 020 7471 1093 or email ldvmessages@brandevents.co.uk

To contact the Italian Chamber of Commerce, call 020 7495 8191

or email mbarbano@italchamind.org.uk

Food & Drink Style & Design Travel & Property

The Italian Show in London

ladolcevitaevent.co.uk

V1 ICC Magazine.indd 1 21/11/08 16:54:28

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