In the first year and a half of the new legislature, the European Union had to contend with a rapidly changing geopolitical landscape of armed conflicts on its frontiers and rising trade disputes. It has therefore redefined its priorities by adding new objectives, such as an increased commitment to defence, and reworked its strategies to achieve already set targets, such as the fight against climate change and the digital transition, emphasising the need to protect its values and to foster European competitiveness and security.
How are the defined guidelines taking shape, and how are they being transformed into concrete measures?
What is their impact at the national level, and to what extent can the Italian System contribute to the implementation of European policies?
The 2026 edition of the Connact Annual Meeting, organised by Fondazione Articolo 49 in collaboration with the European Parliament’s liaison office in Italy and the European Commission’s Italian Delegation, brings together policy-makers at the European level with many of the key players of the Italian production system, to foster a high-level dialogue on current issues, opportunities to be seized, and actions to be taken to meet the challenges of the various sectors.
Members of the European Parliament, representatives of European, national, and regional institutions, representatives of productive forces, trade organisations, and the third sector will discuss in Brussels the priorities that the Italian System will put at the centre of the European agenda.
The discussion will be divided into 13 parallel thematic tables: Defence & Security; Energy; Finance & Insurance; Agri; Industry & Market; Food; Media; Luxury Lifestyle; Mobility & Logistics; Net & Tech; Pharma; Research & Innovation; Rights & Democracy.
The event—promoted by more than 50 of the most important enterprises, trade associations, third-sector realities, and key stakeholders of the Italian System—enjoys the highest institutional patronage.
The information on this page is strictly confidential and cannot be disclosed.
Invitations to speakers will be sent out in the next few days.
