A day dedicated to the infrastructural, political, economic and social challenge posed by an unprecedented endeavour for the development of Southern Italy and Italy as a whole. Among the esteemed speakers were Minister Raffaele Fitto, the President of the Sicilia Region Renato Schifani and the President of the Calabria Region Roberto Occhiuto.

Bonsignore: "The bridge is an opportunity not to be missed." Foti: "Too much time has been wasted, now we need to move quickly towards the construction of the bridge".

A three-kilometre-long suspension bridge that will connect Calabria with Sicily, bearing an estimated traffic of six thousand vehicles per hour and two hundred trains per day. Following the approval by the Council of Ministers of the decree that revives the Strait of Messina company, the executive design and the start of work are scheduled for July 2024. The Bridge over the Strait is about to become reality.

This significant event took place on Monday, March 27 at 10 a.m. at the Teatro Massimo in Palermo, stemming from the collaboration between the Magna Grecia Foundation and the Sicily Foundation, dedicated to a crucial theme for the development of Southern Italy and Italy as a whole: "The Bridge over the Strait, a necessary challenge".

"Never before has the Strait of Messina Bridge seemed to be within such close reach," said the president of the Magna Grecia Foundation, Nino Foti. "This means that local institutions together with social, financial and academic stakeholders must join forces to ensure that this essential European infrastructure does not suffer any setbacks. The bridge can represent a turning point in the economy of Italy and the South, but also compensation for two regions, Sicily and Calabria, which have a serious infrastructural deficit." Foti concluded: "The bridge is not an alternative to the high-speed railway or State Road 106, neither one to road networks and port investments, but it represents a natural and necessary strategic connection".

"For too many years there has been a debate about the importance of building the bridge over the Strait," said the president of the Fondazione Sicilia, Raffaele Bonsignore. "The time has now come to put words into action, becoming aware that this great project can and must be carried out, not only for the benefit of Sicily, but of Italy as a whole. For these reasons, the Fondazione Sicilia, in collaboration with the Magna Grecia Foundation, has organized, promoted and sponsored the conference “The Bridge over the Strait: a necessary challenge”. An unmissable opportunity to convey the best energies of our country, to provide a concrete and constructive contribution that gives impetus to the realization of an extraordinary project. The common effort required is equally extraordinary, and I am sure that the conference, due to the quality of the speakers in attendance and all those who will take part in their various capacities, will be able to catalyse national attention and offer those food for thought that I hope will allow our country to undertake this exceptional albeit possible challenge."

A day of discussion organized in partnership with the Pubbliemme-Diemmecom Group, ViaCondotti21-LaCapitale, LaC Network and coordinated by Alessandro Russo, editorial director of the Network and Paola Bottero, strategic director of the Group, who will introduce the four panels. Other media partners of the initiative are news agencies AdnKronos and Italpress.

An event in which renowned figures belonging to different strategic sectors and working for a better South will analyse the several challenges that a large infrastructure such as the bridge that will connect Calabria and Sicily will entail: infrastructural, political, social and economic ones.

A heterogeneous analysis that will offer different points of view, important food for thought on the centrality of large investments in infrastructure and mobility in the South, also in consideration of the prospects related to the implementation of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP).

After the opening remarks delivered by the president of the Magna Grecia Foundation, Nino Foti, the president of the Sicily Foundation Raffaele Bonsignore and the mayor of Palermo Roberto Lagalla, the first session entitled “The Social Challenge”, was moderated by journalist Barbara Romano, and was the stage of a talk between Vincenzo Fortunato, administrator of the Società Ponte sullo Stretto, Massimo Midiri, Dean of the University of Palermo and Lino Morgante, president and editorial director of S.E.S. Società Editrice Sud.

The second session entitled “The Economic Challenge” kicked off at 12 pm. The esteemed speakers in attendance were Michele Battaglia, accountant and partner of Studio BCC, Pietro Massimo Busetta, professor of Economic Statistics at the University of Palermo, Dario Lo Bosco, professor of Roads, Railways and Airports and Head of the FS Academy of FSI, Maurizio Lupi, former Deputy Minister of Transport and Francesco Profumo, President of ACRI, former Minister of Education.

The third session entitled “Infrastructural Challenge” was moderated by journalist Fabrizio Frullani and took place at 3 pm. Alessandro Aricò, Council Member for Infrastructure and Mobility of the Sicilian Region, Marco Marchese, Director of Southern Investments of RFI, Tullio Giuffrè, Professor of Roads, Railways and Airports at the University of Enna Kore and Francesco Russo, Professor of Sustainable Mobility Systems Engineering at the University of Reggio Calabria took part in the discussion.

“The Political Challenge” panel closed the event at 5 pm, with the remarks of Riccardo Di Stefano, president of Young Entrepreneurs of Confindustria, the Minister for European Affairs, Cohesion Policies and NRRP Raffaele Fitto, the President of the Calabria Region Roberto Occhiuto, , the Vice President of the Magna Grecia Foundation and MP Saverio Romano and Renato Schifani,  President of the Sicilia Region.