Strengthening the attractiveness and resilience of rural areas in Italy’s Abruzzo region
- Rural Pact
- Rural Revitalisation Platform
- Resilient rural areas
- Prosperous rural areas
- Connected rural areas
- Stronger Rural Areas
- Governance
- Entrepreneurship
- Tourism and heritage
- Transport and mobility
- Health and care
- Access to services
- Education and training
Abruzzo’s territorial attractiveness depends on creating the conditions for people to live, work, invest and build their future in the region. This was the central message of the event ‘Abruzzo and Europe’s Inner Areas – New Strategies for Territorial Attractiveness and Resilience’ held in Brussels in October 2026.
Image by lauradibiase from Getty Images
The conference brought together representatives from Italy’s Abruzzo region, the European Commission’s DG REGIO, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and business, along with territorial development experts.
It explored the role of cohesion policy and territorial investments in strengthening regional development.
A core conclusion from the event was that sustainable territorial attractiveness requires coordinated investment, stronger local governance and complementary funding instruments, to ensure that rural and inner areas contribute fully to Abruzzo’s long-term development.
Another key message was that the EU’s forthcoming ‘right to stay’ strategy will help ensure people have genuine opportunities to remain in their territories through access to jobs, services and prospects for the future.
Introducing the event, Fabio Morvilli, President of the Italian Chamber of Commerce in Belgium, highlighted the importance of connecting businesses with local opportunities, supporting entrepreneurs and promoting regional products internationally.
Stefano Cianciotta, Chief of Staff of the President of the Abruzzo region, then presented the region’s positive economic performance since 2021, supported by its industrial base and the Single Special Economic Zone for Southern Italy. He also pointed to the high proportion of students arriving from outside Abruzzo as evidence of its appeal to younger generations.
The importance of an integrated territorial approach
Several speakers emphasised that enhancing attractiveness requires an integrated territorial approach.
Emanuela Murri from the Abruzzo region underlined the need to combine economic opportunities, skills, services and quality of life. Mariangela Tucceri, also from the region, stressed that internal and less accessible areas must be central to regional development strategies, with priorities including education, healthcare, mobility, tourism and innovation in supply chains.
Coordinating funding instruments, including the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and the European Regional Development Fund, is essential to address these interconnected challenges.
Maria Rosaria Russo of Formez highlighted the importance of strengthening local administrative capacity through capacity-building infrastructure, cooperation with municipalities and territorial networks, enabling local authorities to plan and deliver effective development initiatives.
From an OECD perspective, Michael Flood presented the organisation’s Regional Attractiveness Compass as a framework for understanding territorial potential beyond conventional economic indicators, incorporating natural capital, employment and other local assets. He also emphasised the importance of linking resilience and post-disaster recovery with long-term economic development.
Discover more insights from the OECD on strengthening rural attractiveness in a dedicated Rural Pact article.