Intesa Sanpaolo and the Banca del Monte di Lombardia Foundation presented “Hills and Beyond spa”, a company to redevelop and enhance the Oltrepò Pavese area. The new company was born with the aim of creating a direct relationship with the territory and for this reason the headquarters will be established in Pavia.
The main objectives of the company are to establish cooperation with the workers of the tourism and food and wine sector, attracting new national and international investors, the provision of services for the area and finally the creation of a single brand to promote the tourism and food and wine world of Pavia.
To achieve these objectives, the company will focus above all on Italian excellence, such as the typical products of the area, the accommodation facilities scattered throughout the area, centralized promotion by the company and strong collaboration between local stakeholders.
The company's board of directors will be chaired by Massimo Grasselli and composed of Renzo Simonato, Aldo Poli and Matteo Casagrande Paladini. An Industrial Advisory Committee is also envisaged which will be made up of experts from the local wine and tourism sector so that they can represent Oltrepò Pavese.
In addition to the central geographical position, there is another reason why it was chosen Pavia: the presence of the Agribusiness Management headquarters, the Intesa Sanpaolo center of excellence dedicated to agriculture, to make the most of the potential of an area that is among the most productive in Italy and to start a transition process digital and green. Pavia is in fact the fifth Lombard province by turnover, with 339 million euros in 2018, and the sixth by employment, with 5.700 employees.
The territory is mostly intended for cultivation, with 78.200 hectares earmarked for rice (about 35%) and 13 thousand reserved for the production of over 1 million quintals of grapes which will then be used for the creation of IGP and DOP wines. The evolution of the wine market in the area has remained on average with the Italian one in the last 10 years but the company, taking advantage of the still unused vineyards, aims to expand into the foreign market.
The company will try, through the agri-food sector, a consolidate the expansion path already launched in the area and will aim, in the tourism sector, to enhance the proximity offer, so as to minimize the risks in the event of new closures. The company has said it intends use the funds made available by the PNRR to make the Oltrepò manufacturing fabric make the definitive leap in quality, with special attention to SMEs, also through the strengthening and completion of the digital transition and green that the pandemic started in 2020.
