Confindustria, Italy’s leading industrial federation, has officially launched its new representative office in Washington, D.C., giving Italian business a permanent foothold at the center of U.S. political and economic decision-making. The opening ceremony at the new premises in the American capital was led by Italy’s Ambassador to the United States, Mariangela Zappia, together with Confindustria President Carlo Bonomi. This move consolidates Italy’s ambition to reinforce Italy-US relations in industry, trade, investment, and technology at a time when Rome and Washington are stepping up their strategic coordination on global challenges.
Confindustria’s Washington Office: From Occasional Missions to Permanent Transatlantic Presence
The establishment of Confindustria’s office in Washington marks a shift from sporadic business missions to a stable, long-term presence embedded in the U.S. institutional ecosystem. Located within walking distance of key federal departments, Congress, and international financial institutions, the new hub is designed to provide Italian companies with direct access to discussions on transatlantic trade, industrial strategy, and technological security.
This permanent representation will enable Italian industry to engage in real time on critical files such as the energy transition, digital regulation, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity. It will also help shape international standards and rules that will define future global value chains, particularly in areas where the U.S. and EU are working more closely together, such as export controls, sustainability rules, and industrial incentives.
Conceived as both a listening post and an operational platform, the Washington structure will:
- Monitor policy developments on trade, sanctions, taxation, competition, and industrial support schemes.
- Promote business matchmaking between Italian and U.S. firms in high-potential sectors.
- Strengthen institutional dialogue with Congress, federal agencies, think tanks, and business associations.
- Support innovation ecosystems that link Italian industrial districts with U.S. technology hubs.
| Priority Area | Strategic Objective |
| Energy & Climate | Maximize Italian access to U.S. green and climate incentives |
| Digital & AI | Influence global standards and build joint R&D partnerships |
| Defense & Space | Reinforce Italy’s role in transatlantic defense and space supply chains |
| Advanced Manufacturing | Encourage investment flows and technology cooperation |
Building Stronger Italy-US Industrial Partnerships and Resilient Supply Chains
The new Confindustria hub is intended to function as a strategic coordination center for Italian and American industrial interests, especially in sectors considered vital for national and economic security. These include critical raw materials, semiconductors, advanced manufacturing, space and aerospace, life sciences, and secure digital infrastructure.
Working in close alignment with the Embassy, the Italian Trade Agency, and other national institutions, the Washington office will create direct channels to U.S. federal authorities, Congress, and major business organizations. Its mission is to anticipate regulatory and policy changes, promote convergence on technical standards, and facilitate co-investment platforms in key sectors linked, for example, to the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act, infrastructure modernization, and the digital and green transitions.
The initiative is fully consistent with broader EU-U.S. dialogues on trade and technology, positioning Italian companies to participate more actively in discussions on export controls, public procurement rules, and industrial subsidies.
To transform political alignment into concrete outcomes, the office will implement a structured program that includes:
- Mapping U.S. industrial clusters and pairing them with the strengths of Italian regions and supply chains.
- Supporting co-investments in strategic raw materials, semiconductor ecosystems, and low-carbon technologies.
- Promoting joint R&D initiatives on industrial resilience, dual-use innovation, and advanced manufacturing.
- Facilitating agreements on logistics corridors, ports, and intermodal infrastructure connecting Italy and the U.S.
| Focus Area | Objective |
|---|---|
| Advanced Manufacturing | Build integrated supply networks and shared technical standards |
| Energy & Cleantech | Diversify supply and deploy low-carbon technologies at scale |
| Digital & Cyber | Protect data flows and reinforce cyber-resilient infrastructure |
Strategic Roadmap: Ambassador Zappia and President Bonomi Set the Agenda
During the inauguration, Ambassador Mariangela Zappia and Confindustria President Carlo Bonomi outlined a clear roadmap to transform the new Washington office into a long-term platform for structured dialogue with U.S. institutions. Their shared goal is to align Italian industrial priorities with the evolving U.S. agenda in innovation, energy transition, and supply-chain security, ensuring that Italian firms can contribute to – and benefit from – new policy frameworks and incentive schemes.
The roadmap highlights the importance of regular engagement with Congress, the Administration, and key federal agencies such as the Department of Energy, the Department of Commerce, and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. It also calls for close collaboration with American think tanks, chambers of commerce, and sectoral associations to reinforce the broader transatlantic economic partnership.
The new office will serve as both a policy observatory and an advocacy center, transforming analytical work into business opportunities for Italian companies. Among the planned actions:
- Quarterly policy briefings with U.S. institutions on digital regulation, sustainability frameworks, and trade policy.
- Dedicated working groups on strategic sectors, with participation from Italian and American industrial stakeholders.
- Joint public events with U.S. chambers and research institutes to showcase Italian industrial capabilities and innovation.
- Rapid-alert channels to inform Italian companies in real time about regulatory changes, standards, and funding opportunities.
| Focus Area | U.S. Counterparts | Planned Actions |
|---|---|---|
| Green Transition | DOE, EPA | Briefings on clean-tech incentives and decarbonization programs |
| Digital & AI | Commerce, FCC | Dialogue on standards, data governance, and AI regulation |
| Supply Chains | USTR, DHS | Coordination on resilience, reshoring, and diversification strategies |
How Italian Companies Can Leverage the Washington Hub for Funding, Policy Access, and Investors
With the Washington office now operational, Italian companies are encouraged to move from generic interest to structured engagement. To fully capitalize on this new channel, firms should:
- Designate an internal federal affairs or international policy contact to liaise with the Washington team.
- Prepare concise, high-quality English-language pitch materials that clearly explain products, technologies, and value propositions.
- Map their technologies and services against U.S. strategic priorities such as energy transition, advanced manufacturing, health innovation, space, and digital security.
In coordination with Confindustria’s Washington office, companies will be able to arrange targeted meetings on Capitol Hill and with federal agencies, join sector-specific delegations, and participate in closed-door briefings on regulatory developments and new funding calls. This will help ensure that Italian industrial capabilities are visible and aligned with U.S. federal programs and the expectations of major American institutional investors.
The Washington hub is also intended as a platform for curated matchmaking between Italian enterprises and U.S. partners, funds, and innovation ecosystems. Companies will be invited to:
- Join thematic working groups focusing on sectors like cleantech, aerospace, digital, and life sciences.
- Take part in joint roadshows in key U.S. regions with high concentrations of investors, accelerators, and R&D centers.
- Contribute to policy position papers that articulate Italian industry’s stance in transatlantic debates.
To support quick and informed engagement, the Washington team will share intelligence on relevant funding schemes, investors, and partnership opportunities. Enterprises looking to benefit from this support should:
- Identify priority U.S. federal programs and tenders consistent with their technology and investment roadmap.
- Work with the Confindustria Washington staff to refine project concepts, partnership models, and compliance strategies.
- Develop investor-ready documentation emphasizing scalability, intellectual property, ESG performance, and adherence to U.S. standards.
- Participate in curated delegations to innovation hubs, federal agencies, and financial centers across the United States.
| Action | Timeframe | Main Counterpart |
|---|---|---|
| Send company profile and priority sectors to the Washington office | Immediate | Confindustria Desk |
| Align project pipeline with U.S. federal and state funding programs | Next 3-6 months | Relevant Federal Agencies |
| Join investor and partner roadshows in key U.S. regions | Within 12 months | Funds, Financial Institutions & Strategic Partners |
Conclusion: A New Phase in Italy-US Economic Relations
The opening of Confindustria’s representative office in Washington, D.C. inaugurates a new phase in Italy-US economic and institutional relations, strengthening a partnership grounded in shared values, innovation, and mutual security interests. With the direct involvement of the Italian Embassy and Confindustria’s leadership, Italian industry now has a more structured and influential voice in the American capital at a moment of profound global transformation.
The true test of this initiative will be its ability to transform symbolic presence into measurable results: deeper industrial cooperation, higher bilateral investment flows, and tighter coordination on global priorities such as the energy transition, digital innovation, critical raw materials, and resilient supply chains. As the office’s activities expand over the coming months and years, one message is already clear: Italy intends to play a more assertive and visible role in shaping the transatlantic economic agenda.
