The Ambassador of Italy to the United States, Mariangela Zappia, will be in Los Angeles for the arrival of the Italian Navy training ship Amerigo Vespucci and the inauguration of Villaggio Italia tomorrow, July 3rd. “The arrival of the world’s most beautiful ship in the United States – as defined by the U.S. Navy itself – and all the Italy she brings with her, is a source of pride for us and fits perfectly into the growth-diplomacy efforts of the Farnesina [Italian Foreign Ministry] that we are pursuing in the United States together with all the actors of Sistema Italia [Italy’s institutional network],” emphasized Ambassador Zappia. “We are delighted that the training ship Amerigo Vespucci and Villaggio Italia have chosen Los Angeles, a focal point in one of the most dynamic areas of the United States and the world; a land where creativity, entrepreneurship, culture, and innovation thrive, thanks also to the contributions of many Italian talents, the same strengths of Made in Italy that we promote here. Together with Defense Minister Guido Crosetto, it will be an honor for me to welcome the Vespucci and inaugurate Villaggio Italia,” she concluded.
In the area of Los Angeles, Southern California, and the neighboring states of Arizona, Nevada, and New Mexico, there are about two million Italian-Americans and thirty-five thousand Italian nationals, including notable scientists, researchers, entrepreneurs, restaurateurs, artists, and professionals. The trade exchange between the Los Angeles area and Italy exceeded $4.3 billion in 2023 (rising to $5.6 billion when considering the whole of California), with a significant positive balance for Italy. In Los Angeles, major Italian groups and SMEs are active in numerous sectors, from well-known brands of design, fashion, luxury cars, and agri-food to business accelerators and other innovative entities in digital marketing, sustainable mobility, film production, and life sciences. In addition to established collaborations in the cultural field, in the music, film, and visual arts industries, there are growing partnerships in the aerospace industry between Italian companies and U.S. groups based in Los Angeles’ “Space Beach,” as well as exchanges between Italian universities and local universities.
In California, based in San Francisco, INNOVIT is active, the first Italian Innovation and Culture Hub in the world, a reference point for the growth of Italian startups and SMEs in the Silicon Valley ecosystem through thematic business acceleration programs. Additionally, in the same area, all Italian industrial groups engaged in the energy transition and numerous other Italian companies involved in high-tech sectors are active.
