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Confindustria president Emanuele Orsini announced plans to evaluate an Italian investor consortium for the former Ilva steelworks during a ministerial meeting in Rome. According to Agenzia Nova, the meeting took place at the Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy (Mimit) and was presided over by Minister Adolfo Urso to review the industrial future of the troubled steel plants.
A Gathering of Heavy Industry Leaders
The gathering brought together key representatives of Italy’s industrial and steel sectors, alongside the extraordinary commissioners of Acciaierie d’Italia. Participants included Confindustria general manager Maurizio Tarquini, Federacciai president Antonio Gozzi, Federmeccanica president Silvano Simone Bettini, and Confindustria Taranto president Salvatore Toma.
Major steel groups were also represented by Antonio Marcegaglia for the Marceglia group, Alessandro Banzato for Acciaierie Venete, Federico Pittini for the Pittini group, Giuseppe Pasini for the Feralpi group, Antonio Beltrame for Afv Acciaierie Beltrame, and Alessandro Brussi alongside vice president Anna Mareschi Danieli for Danieli, alongside Ferriera Valsabbia CEO Ruggero Brunori.
Milan Court Ruling Forces Hot-Area Shutdown
According to Minister Adolfo Urso, the Ministry has formally acknowledged the Milan Court of Appeal’s order mandating the shutdown of the ex-Ilva hot area within 90 days.
Urso stated during the Mimit roundtable that extraordinary commissioners must execute the closure order immediately. The ruling has already been uploaded to the virtual data room for active bidders. In response to this altered regulatory landscape, prospective bidder Jindal submitted an updated proposal covering the entire corporate perimeter, which commissioners are currently reviewing, according to Urso.
Local Leadership Demands State Governance
According to Decaro, public funds must be strictly deployed to safeguard existing employment, adding that he left the ministerial meeting worse than when he entered.
Taranto Mayor Piero Bitetti echoed those demands, stating that local administration will only evaluate concrete proposals backed by a state-guaranteed investment plan. Bitetti emphasized that the post-Ilva economic framework must avoid massive layoffs while pivoting toward port development, renewable energy, university expansion, and infrastructure.
Industrial Stakeholders Urge Continuity
Confindustria Taranto president Salvatore Toma stated that Italy cannot afford an immediate shutdown of the hot area.
According to Toma, transitioning the facility toward electric arc furnaces and direct reduced iron (DRI) technology requires a three-to-five-year window.