“Widening Our World” is the title of the eighth edition of theInternational Banking Forum organized by UBI Banca which takes place on 14 and 15 June in Milan, at the National Museum of Science and Technology. Over 200 participants in the meeting. These are representatives of approximately 80 foreign correspondent banks of the UBI Banca Group worldwide, from 22 countries. There were also numerous presences and testimonials from personalities from the Italian and international economic and financial world, as well as diplomats from various countries.
The proceedings were introduced by Letizia Moratti, Chairman of the Management Board of UBI Banca, and will be concluded by Victor Massiah, the Group's Chief Executive Officer. The objective of the eighth UBI Banca International Banking Forum is take guests on a virtual “world tour” to offer an up-to-date view and analysis on the various international marketplaces relevant to commercial interactions with our country.
“Italy is the first country in Europe for the number of SMEs and owes an important part of its GDP to their ability to face markets, including international ones. Supporting the internationalization of the production system is essential and requires the contribution of the banking and financial system”, says Letizia Moratti, Chairman of the Management Board of UBI Banca. "Our institute is present in the most economically active areas of the country, at the service of companies that have plans for growth: customers that we are supporting even in this phase of high global competition, offering tools for understanding the competitive context and specialized products".
The Forum program is structured in 6 sessions dedicated to as many geographical areas: North America, South America, Asia – ASEAN, Middle East and Gulf, Africa and Europe.
Each session includes discussions and analyzes by two expert speakers, an economist and an expert in the banking and financial world, to offer participants insight into both the economic, social and political situation and its prospects, as well as the attractiveness and opportunities and risks of a more strictly financial nature associated with the geographical area in question. The proceedings of the two days, which take place behind closed doors, they are moderated by Andrea Boltho, Emeritus Fellow Oxford University.
Among the participants in the International Banking Forum 2018 are, by way of example, Prof. Enrico Letta President of the Italy ASEAN Association and Dean Psia-SciencesPo, Paris; the Consul General of the United States of America in Milan, Mrs. Lee Martinez; the Consul General in Milan of Mexico Ms. Morales and the Consul General of India in Milan Mr. Singh.
The UBI Banca International Banking Forum is a consolidated biennial appointment the first edition of which dates back to 2003 and over the years has seen a growing participation of national and international banking institutions, correspondents of the UBI Banca Group in the world.
UBI Banca is directly present, with their representative offices, in the USA (New York), United Arab Emirates (Dubai), China (Shanghai and Hong Kong), Morocco (Casablanca), Brazil (Sao Paulo), Russia (Moscow) and India (Mumbai).
The path of the Forum continues on 19, 20 and 21 June, with three appointments dedicated to local businesses respectively in Bergamo, Brescia and Milan. The three meetings will give the participating companies the opportunity to discuss with the experts of the Bank's Representative Offices abroad in order to explore opportunities, critical issues and prospects of the markets in the relative geographical areas of reference.
Lombardy and its entrepreneurial fabric represent one of the regions with the greatest export vocation: 27% of Italian exports and 22% of GDP are generated in Lombardy, an area where 37,2% of UBI Banca branches and 60% of loans disbursed by the Bank to businesses are concentrated.
