Italferr, Gruppo FS’s engineering company, at the Italy-Algeria Entrepreneurial Forum
This initiative was carried out to strengthen bilateral economic partnering in key sectors, like those of infrastructures and transport
On 23 July, at Rome’s Hotel Parco dei Principi, the Italy - Algeria Entrepreneurial Forum was held, promoted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and the Istituto del Commercio Estero (ICE) [Foreign Trade Institute], in collaboration with Italy’s Embassy in Algiers.
The Forum opened with institutional talks by the two Country’s Foreign Ministers, Antonio Tajani and Ahmed Attaf, before more than 500 companies, while Italferr, the global driving force behind innovative, digital, hi-tech engineering, in Gruppo FS was represented by Irene Gionfriddo - Director of Foreign Trade Development, Business Affairs and Sustainability, who addressed the panel on the infrastructures and transport sector. The Forum ended with an address by the President of the Council of Ministers, Giorgia Meloni, and President of the Algerian Republic, Abdelmadjid Tebboune.
In her talk, attorney Gionfriddo stressed the importance of Italferr’s contribution on Algeria, also referring to the contribution already made in recent years.
Between 2008 and 2019 the Company provided technical assistance to ANESRIF (Agence nationale d’études et de suivi de la réalisation des investissements ferroviaires) providing support on contract management and design, including training sessions for Algerian personnel. For this same Agency, it also carried out Feasibility Studies on electrification of the railways and its High Speed links.
At the same time, the Company worked alongside SNTF (Société nationale des transports ferroviaires) in reforming the country’s railways sector, collaboration in the design of a section of motorway in the IV Rocade di Algeri.
Finally, between 2017 and 2018, in the capacity of leader of a grouping of Algerian companies, Italferr, on behalf of the Arab Maghreb Union, did the feasibility study on refurbishing and modernising more than 200 km of the Trans-Maghreb Casablanca-Algiers-Tunis railway line.
In closing, Irene Gionfriddo points out that: “Numerous discussions had been held to explore new synergies. Based on the positive experience gained, we confirm out full willingness to evaluate further growth and collaboration opportunities in Algeria, in the hope of contributing to the future development of the Country’s mobility network. This, along with Italferr’s excellence know-how, which contributes to optimising safety, digitalisation, quality and sustainability, for interconnected, smart “door to door” transport, along with other important strategic arms of Gruppo FS”.
