The president of the Calabria Region, Roberto Occhiuto, met the president of Baker Hughes-Nuovo Pignone, Paolo Noccioni, this morning at the Citadel of Catanzaro.
During the meeting – which was also attended by the councilor for economic development, Rosario Varì, and the vice president of the company Paolo Ruggeri – the topic of Baker Hughes’ investments in Calabria was addressed.
The multinational had initially planned to invest 60 million euros in our Region, but in recent weeks the hypothesis regarding the port of Corigliano-Rossano has waned – due to now well-known events.
Thanks to the discussions between the Region and the multinational, However, Baker Hughes today announced its intention to confirm and increase investments for Vibo Valentia: 26 million euros of the 60 will therefore remain in our territory.
The plan for the Vibo plant, recently revised by the company in light of the events that have affected the development of its activities in the region, envisages a truly important investment for the next three years, namely 26 million euros – more than 50 % of that initially established -, which will lead to the expansion of industrial activities on the site.
The establishment of an Engineering Digital Hub is planned
Specifically, the investments are functional to strengthening the role of a center of excellence of the Vibo plant in the panorama of Baker Hughes’ global supply chain and also include the establishment of an Engineering Digital Hub, therefore also engineering research and development activities. The Baker Hughes site in Vibo has been a center of excellence for welding, for the design and construction of air exchangers for various applications in the energy sector, for the assembly of control units and for the manufacturing and mechanical processing of large components of high-quality material which are used in the production of compressors and gas turbines.
Occhiuto: “Building an institutional context to attract investments”
“Our mission – states president Roberto Occhiuto – is to build an institutional context in Calabria favorable to attracting investments. I am very happy that leading companies such as Baker Hughes, as well as others, have found in our Region the home of important investments. We will continue discussions with Baker Hughes to try to recover the rest of the 60 million initially announced and make them all remain in our Region”.
“I am very happy that Baker Hughes – underlines councilor Rosario Varì -, also thanks to the excellent relationship established with the regional government, continues to invest in Calabria, in the Vibo Valentia plant, in Porto Salvo, where it has been established for 60 years and where he created an excellent relationship with the population. The company’s decision is important not only for the significant employment implications that a 26 million euro investment will determine, but also because said resources, in addition to increasing productivity and production, will be used in research and development, an area that determines in itself an attraction of new investments and employment for young Calabrian graduates who want to work in the area for a large company”.
Mayor Romeo’s satisfaction: “Our political action has produced the desired results”
“I really cannot hide the great satisfaction in learning that Baker Hughes is ready to invest 26 million euros, of the 60 initially planned in Corigliano Rossano, in Vibo. News of enormous importance for our entire municipal area and beyond.” This is what the mayor of Vibo Valentia, Enzo Romeo, declared regarding the outcome of the meeting between the Calabria Region and the multinational, in which it was decided to modify the initial project which will then be integrated by transforming the Vibo headquarters into a hub of excellence. “Evidently – is the mayor’s comment – our political action had its weight and contributed significantly to guiding the company’s choice. On the other hand, from the first moment in which I understood that the agreement with Corigliano-Rossano had fallen through, I did not hesitate to express the total availability of the Municipality of Vibo Valentia to open a table to evaluate investing part of those huge resources. Furthermore – adds Mayor Romeo – we must remember that Baker Hughes is a model company for our territory, extremely attentive to all socio-economic and environmental aspects and implications, which is why we can only thank it. Likewise, we also thank the Calabria Region for having shown the necessary determination on this dossier. From this moment on, the municipal administration is ready to do its part.”