AIBA Leadership Series: EU–Australia FTA and Cross-Sector Synergies
AIBA was honoured to host, alongside H.E. Australian Ambassador to Italy Julianne Cowley, the first edition of our Leadership Series at the Residence in Rome on 10 June 2026. The convening brought together senior policymakers, diplomats and industry leaders to examine the next chapter of Italy–Australia engagement — shaped by the EU–Australia Free Trade Agreement, the Defence and Security Partnership, and Australia’s pathway to association with Horizon Europe.
A Future-Focused, Investment-Orientated Partnership
We were privileged to hear keynote addresses from the Hon. Minister for Enterprise and Made in Italy Adolfo Urso and H.E. Australian Ambassador to the EU Angus Campbell, followed by a thought-provoking discussion with industry leaders moderated by AIBA President Taylee Lewis.
The message was clear: the partnership between Australia and Italy is evolving beyond traditional trade. It is future-focused and investment-orientated, with untapped potential. Australia and Italy are uniquely positioned to emerge as leaders in the context of the newly negotiated FTA, the Defence and Security Partnership, and ascension to Horizon Europe.
The Three Pillars Defining the Next Decade
EU–Australia FTA — the regulatory backbone for market access, critical minerals, services and digital trade between Australia and the EU.
Defence and Security Partnership — formalising cooperation across defence industry, dual-use technology and resilience.
Horizon Europe Association — bringing Australian researchers and innovation-led companies into the EU’s flagship research and innovation programme.
Together, these instruments turn the Italy–Australia relationship into a structural feature of the wider Europe–Indo-Pacific architecture.
Industry Leaders on Cross-Sector Synergies
Thank you to our distinguished panellists, each bringing a different lens on how the partnership translates into investment, infrastructure and jobs:
- Stefano Fierro, Country Head, Goodman, and AIBA Board Member — logistics and industrial real estate, the physical infrastructure of e-commerce, advanced manufacturing and data centres.
- Giuseppe Artizzu, CEO, NHOA Energy, and AIBA Board Member — utility-scale battery energy storage and the bilateral axis of the energy transition.
- Riccardo Dutto, Global Head of Infrastructure & Real Estate, Intesa Sanpaolo — long-term capital, infrastructure finance and the alignment between Italian banking and Australian superannuation.
- Sara Edmonson, Global Advocacy Lead, Fortescue — green hydrogen, critical minerals and the decarbonisation of heavy industry.
Acknowledgements
A special thank you to AIBA’s Board, members, institutional partners and the wider network for making this event a success. The Leadership Series will continue through subsequent editions, deepening specific verticals — energy, critical minerals, defence industry, infrastructure finance, research and innovation — as the Italy–Australia partnership enters its most strategic decade yet.
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