A city open to the new, to the foreigner, to the immigrant, who seeks to hook up to "today's locomotives of history". AND' Bologna according to the auspices and reflections brought forward today by Romano Prodi at the first meeting on the "Metropolitan strategic plan", a plan for the capital over the next 20 years. A step taken by many cities in Europe and in the world, which Bologna is also trying to do, in the hope of rediscovering that role of "model city" that distinguished it after the war. Prodi has been invited to act as president of the metropolitan Forum, the place for reflection from which the plan that aims to involve citizens and associations will start and to which 275 subjects have already sent proposals.
For the former prime minister, the driving force can only come from a courageous openness to the other: in the first place to immigrants, who must be transformed from a necessity into a resource. “If Reggio Emilia is a leader in kindergartens, Bologna can become one in the training and integration of immigrants. Especially the second generations, who are driven by a great desire for growth and affirmation and must be able to access management and politics". Furthermore, it is the "foreigner" in general who can bring new life under the two towers: "Our University has a great history. It was the first in the Western world and became a reference point in Europe. But when did it decline? When the Bolognese decided to close the doors to professors born elsewhere. We have to reopen those doors to both teachers and students because this introduces ideas, exchange, growth". Degree courses entirely in English are needed “because a university that speaks only Italian is of little use. From here we have to dialogue with the world. Think of Prometeia, a service company invented by Beniamino Andreatta which seemed like a crazy project at the time and which today has 400 employees and customers all over the world. This is how excellence is made".
To get out of the stagnation in which Bologna has been floating for at least 10 years, we need to leverage known resources, says Prodi, but never sufficiently valued. The geographical position and logistics: “By train today we are half an hour from Florence and an hour from Milan, it's a revolution. Our airport is not a hub as long as it only serves us, but when Florence is needed it acquires a completely different specific weight. However, we need a quick connection between the station and the airport, be it the People Mover or whatever you want”. The fact of being a central road and railway junction has always been fundamental for logistics and large companies have found a home in Bologna: “But be careful not to miss any opportunities due to red tape. Ikea went to Piacenza because they gave it what it asked for and quickly. Today, timeliness is of the essence".
Manufacturing is still an ace up the capital's sleeve: “Especially the instrumental industry. But innovation and a specific research center are needed, as they do in Germany”. Healthcare, where Bologna boasts many excellences, is another central chapter: “if you think that 10% of the country's income is absorbed by this item, you realize how economically important it is. Is our health system working? Well, it's a model that we can export, also dragging goods and services with us".
A lot can be done by streamlining decision-making processes, resources are needed for much more. Times are tough and the Bolognese banks have merged into large groups, but we have to try. Unipol still stands out in the financial landscape, even with a new building that has changed the Bologna skyline. "We will see if the projects in the field will go through, however we need to strengthen the upper tertiary sector of the city".
These are the first reflections. Four thematic tables on innovation and development will be opened in April; environment and mobility; knowledge, education and culture; well-being and social cohesion. To start seeing some black and white projects, we will have to wait at least for the end of the year.
