2026 General Assembly
of the Italian Historical Trademarks Association

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE ITALIAN HISTORIC TRADEMARKS ASSOCIATION 2026

“From Heritage to Development: Historic Trademarks as a Driver of Italy’s Cultural, Tourism and Industrial Growth”

The 2026 General Assembly of the Italian Historic Trademarks Association was held on 23 June in Rome, at Acea Heritage, in the presence of the Minister of Enterprises and Made in Italy, Adolfo Urso, and the Minister of Tourism, Gianmarco Mazzi. The event was dedicated to exploring the role of Historic Trademarks as a strategic asset for the country’s economic, cultural and territorial development.

The meeting provided an important opportunity for dialogue among institutions, businesses, academia and organisations committed to promoting corporate culture, placing the value of Italy’s industrial heritage at the heart of the discussion as a means of creating new opportunities for growth, attractiveness and competitiveness.

The theme “From Heritage to Development” highlighted a vision of Historic Trademarks not merely as a legacy of the past, but as a living and dynamic asset capable of generating value for local areas, supporting industrial tourism, strengthening the identity of Made in Italy and contributing to the education of future generations.

During the General Assembly, the “National Network of Historic Trademarks, Corporate Museums and Archives” project was officially presented. The initiative is promoted by the Italian Historic Trademarks Association in collaboration with Museimpresa, with the scientific support of the Department of Social and Economic Sciences of Sapienza University of Rome.

In its initial phase, the new Network brings together more than 100 organisations and sites, including historical archives, corporate museums, production facilities open to visitors, wineries and landmark locations representing Italy’s industrial heritage. The initiative was created with the aim of bringing together the historical assets of Italian companies and transforming them into a new national cultural and tourism infrastructure.

Through a dedicated digital platform, a National Atlas of the participating heritage sites and the “Made in Italy Heritage Routes”, the project aims to create a network connecting companies, local areas and cultural attractions, while promoting Italian know-how and encouraging new forms of industrial tourism.

PRIVATE SESSION OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY

The private session of the General Assembly, reserved for members of the Association, provided an opportunity for discussion and exchange on the Association’s activities, institutional updates and future prospects.

During the meeting, the new member companies were introduced and the Association’s main strategic projects were presented. These included the National Network of Historic Trademarks, Corporate Museums and Archives project, the reform of the Business Safeguard Fund as a tool to support growth, industrial continuity and the strengthening of Made in Italy supply chains, and the opportunity offered by the Permanent National Exhibition of Made in Italy. Developed in collaboration with the Fondazione Imprese e Competenze per il Made in Italy, the Exhibition represents a new institutional showcase for promoting the history, identity and contribution of Italy’s historic companies.

The session concluded with an open discussion and dialogue with members on the Association’s future prospects.

PUBLIC SESSION OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY

The Public Session, moderated by Silvia Marzialetti, journalist at Radiocor - Il Sole 24 Ore, was structured around two thematic sessions focusing on the relationship between heritage, local areas, development and the competitiveness of Historic Trademarks.

Saluti istituzionali

Assemblea Generale Marchi Storici d’Italia 2026 a Roma

ADOLFO URSO Minister of Enterprises and Made in Italy

“Historic Trademarks are drivers of Italy’s development, bridging past and future. They are active levers of economic, cultural and territorial growth and today represent a heritage of more than one thousand trademarks registered in the Historic Trademarks Register. The National Network of Historic Trademarks, Corporate Museums and Archives is a further strategic tool for promoting and showcasing the excellence of Italian industry.”

GIANMARCO MAZZI Minister of Tourism

“The National Network of Historic Trademarks, Corporate Museums and Archives is a concrete and forward-looking initiative designed to bring together Italy’s centres of excellence and transform them into a truly widespread tourism infrastructure.”

MASSIMO CAPUTI President of the Italian Historic Trademarks Association

“The commitment to promoting the heritage of Italian know-how stems from the awareness that industrial tourism has become one of the most dynamic segments of Italy’s tourism offering. The challenge today is not to create demand, but to bring the existing offer into a coordinated system. Through the Network, we aim to build a recognisable and high-quality national framework capable of enhancing individual experiences within a shared context.”

SESSION I

FROM HERITAGE TO LOCAL AREAS
THE NATIONAL NETWORK OF HISTORIC TRADEMARKS, CORPORATE MUSEUMS AND ARCHIVES

The first session was dedicated to the presentation of the new National Network, a project designed to promote the historical heritage of Italian companies through a network connecting industrial culture, local areas and industrial tourism. Through institutional contributions and a round table discussion, the session explored the opportunities offered by corporate archives and museums as tools for enhancing territorial attractiveness, education and economic development.

KEYNOTE SPEECH
“Industrial Culture, Local Areas and Industrial Tourism: A New Infrastructure for Italy”

ANTONIO CALABRÒ President of Museimpresa

“Industrial tourism is not only a growing sector, but also a strategic opportunity to present business as a cultural phenomenon. Corporate archives and museums tell the story of Italian know-how and of the deep connection between companies, local areas, the country’s industrial identity and competitiveness.”

PROJECT PRESENTATION

“National Network of Historic Trademarks, Corporate Museums and Archives”

ARMANDO DE NIGRIS Executive Vice President of the Italian Historic Trademarks Association

The presentation outlined the objectives and future prospects of the new National Network, designed to create a coordinated system connecting companies, museums, archives and local areas, while enhancing the historical and cultural heritage of Italy’s Historic Trademarks.

ROUND TABLE
“Corporate Museums and Archives: Territorial Identity, Attractiveness and Development”

The discussion explored the role of industrial heritage sites as tools for communicating corporate identity, strengthening connections with local areas and contributing to the development of industrial tourism.

DANIELA BRIGNONE Curator, Birra Peroni Historical Archive and Museum
ANDREA CIARINI Associate Professor of Sociology of Economic and Labour Processes
Department of Social and Economic Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome
MARIA ROSARIA NAPOLITANO Professor of Marketing and Strategy
Department of Business and Quantitative Studies, University of Naples “Parthenope”
ANNA SCUDELLARI President of AICHeM, Italian Association of Corporate Heritage Managers

SESSION II

FROM HERITAGE TO DEVELOPMENT
NEW DRIVERS FOR THE GROWTH OF HISTORIC TRADEMARKS

The second session focused on the future of Historic Trademarks as strategic assets for Italy’s production system, examining tools, policies and new opportunities aimed at supporting industrial continuity and business growth.

“From Protection to Development: The New Phase of Historic Trademarks”

AMEDEO TETI Head of the Department for Market and Consumer Protection, Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy

The speech highlighted the evolving role of Historic Trademarks, which are increasingly recognised as a strategic asset for the competitiveness of the national economic system.

KEYNOTE SPEECH
“Industrial Continuity, Supply Chains and Growth: The New Financial Instrument for the Development of Historic Trademarks”

FRANCESCA OTTIER Head of Funds and Equity Investments, Invitalia

The speech presented Invitalia’s new Business Safeguard Fund, highlighting the opportunities introduced by the new regulatory framework to support Historic Trademarks, promote industrial consolidation, protect strategic supply chains and strengthen business competitiveness.

ROUND TABLE
“Growth, Industrial Continuity and New Prospects for Historic Trademarks”

The round table brought together representatives from the business, academic and institutional sectors to discuss new perspectives for supporting the growth, innovation and continuity of Italy’s historic companies.

ALESSANDRO AQUILLO Global Chief Communications Officer, Bolton
MICHELE COSTABILE Full Professor of Business Administration and Management (Marketing), Luiss University
PIERANGELO DECISI President, SIGIT Group
GIUSEPPE TRIPOLI Secretary General, Unioncamere

CONCLUSIONS

ANTONIO ZACCHERA Board Member and Vice President of the Italian Historic Trademarks Association

HERITAGE EXPERIENCE

At the end of the proceedings, guests took part in a guided tour of Acea Heritage, the corporate museum of the Acea Group. The visit offered an opportunity to explore more than 110 years of company history through an exhibition journey showcasing its industrial heritage, historical archive and the evolution of one of the most representative brands in Italy’s public utilities sector. The visit concluded with a networking cocktail, providing participants with a further opportunity for discussion and exchange.