Intesa Sanpaolo launches €60 bn ZES 2.0 plan to boost Southern Italy

Intesa Sanpaolo presented its ZES 2.0 strategic plan in Bari on 17 July 2026, committing an additional €60 billion to expand the Special Economic Zone model nationwide. The programme, developed with Confindustria and the Department for the South of the Prime Minister’s Office, aims to attract new investments, especially from northern Italian firms and foreign capital, and to fund infrastructure and energy upgrades in the Mezzogiorno. It builds on the bank’s previous €28 billion support for the region, adds an ad‑hoc financing line with preferential interest rates, and will be promoted through a road‑show across Italy and abroad, advisory services for capital raising, M&A and generational succession.

Confindustria’s vice‑president for Southern development, Natale Mazzuca, highlighted that the South has moved beyond a recovery phase and now needs policies that turn this momentum into structural growth. He urged a shift in perception, describing the area as a driver of national competitiveness and calling for the ZES model to become a hub for new industrial projects and talent retention beyond the post‑Recovery Fund era.