Cassa Depositi e Prestiti (CDP) and the Municipality of Naples have signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at bolstering the local economy, streamlining administrative processes, promoting the execution of public-private partnership initiatives, and easing access to European funding resources.
This latest agreement, inked on 7 July at the Municipality headquarters in regional capital, was signed by CDP's CEO, Dario Scannapieco, and the Mayor of Naples, Gaetano Manfredi. It represents the most recent development in a collaboration that has been ongoing for several years, with the ultimate aim of creating a positive impact on the Campania region.
In recent years, Cassa Depositi e Prestiti has committed a total of €3.5 billion in resources to Campania. Specifically, in terms of local authority support, CDP has mobilised approximately €500 million for the Municipality of Naples, structuring over 100 transactions from 2020 to 2023. During the same period, CDP also backed the Campania Region with five initiatives, pledging resources amounting to over 2 billion. Naples Municipality has also actively engaged in the renegotiation of mortgages for local authorities, thereby releasing funds for the local economy. CDP has also reached out to businesses, mobilising resources of over one billion euros to foster the growth of approximately 3,700 companies operating in the province of Naples and throughout the entire Campania Region. In particular, these resources have facilitated the expansion of companies such as Caffè Borbone, which received a loan of €10 million for national and international growth, Paperdì, which received €6 million to enhance production capacity and energy efficiency, and Sciuker Frames, which secured €7.5 million to invest in energy efficiency and the green economy.
Moreover, one of the most notable initiatives in the Region is the Garanzia Campania Bond programme. This alternative financial scheme, promoted by the Campania Region and facilitated by its in-house company, Sviluppo Campania, has funded the expansion of 65 regional companies, with investments surpassing €140 million. The Group's activities also encompass infrastructure projects. Indeed, CDP has been involved in numerous financing operations, including the enhancement of the Naples-Bari and Salerno-Reggio Calabria, HS-HC lines, facilitating improved connectivity and mobility between the regions.
CDP has also backed the innovation and growth of start-ups and SMEs via its subsidiary, CDP VC. In 2022, approximately €24 million was designated to foster the expansion of innovative SMEs and start-ups within the sectors of Robotics and Automation, Bioeconomy, Aerospace and Agritech. CDP VC has initiated accelerator schemes, innovation hubs, and technology transfer programmes to foster the establishment and growth of high-tech start-ups. One successful example is the "RoboIT" Technology Transfer Hub, set up in collaboration with the Federico II University of Naples to maximise the results of Italian scientific and technological research in robotics and automation. Another significant initiative is the "Terra Next" Programme, supporting both national and international startups in the bioeconomy sector.
Click here to read the press release about the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between CDP and the Naples Municipality.