The British government, UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) and the British Consulate-General in Milan announced the winners of the seventh edition of the UK-Italy Business Awards on the 23rd January 2014.
Tratos received the Industrial Investment Award. The award was presented by Christopher Prentice CMG, HM Ambassador to Ing. Albano Bragagni (President of Tratos Ltd) and Dr. Maurizio Bragagni(CEO of Tratos Ltd).
The event was held at Palazzo Mezzanotte, home of Borsa Italiana, part of the London Stock Exchange Group.
Present were; Massimo Tononi (Chairman of Borsa Italiana), Raffaele Jerusalmi (CEO of Borsa Italiana), Michael Fallon (UK Minister of State for Business and Innovation and Minister of State for Energy), Flavio Zanonato (Italian Minister for Economic Development), Christopher Prentice CMG (HM Ambassador to Italy), and Vic Annells (HM Consul General and Director General of UKTI Italy).
The motivation for the Award:
“The company believes that large investment in the national grid upgrade is going to generate significant market growth in the UK. The company has therefore decided to invest in a new manufacturing facility. The plant will be based in Knowsley (Liverpool City Region), where the company already runs a manufacturing site, focusing on low voltage cables. The project will involve significant capital investment for new machinery (worth £ 12 million) and site acquisition (£ 6 million). The project will also involve research activities in the field of low carbon and low emission products. Production is expected to start in summer 2014”.
The UK has the most open and business-oriented economy out of the major European countries, as the more than 330,000 new companies registered in the UK every year show (120 every hour). It is a the sixth largest economy in the world and eighth out of 144 countries in terms of international business competitiveness according to the World Economic Forum. In 2012 investment flows to the UK increased by 21.5% up to 62 billion dollars.
UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) helps UK-based companies succeed in the global economy and assists overseas companies with bringing high-quality investment to the UK. The Investment Team of UKTI Italy delivers bespoke information to potential and actual investors on market opportunities and government incentives, as well as practical information.In the course of the last financial year Italy ranked third among foreign investors for the number of projects delivered, thus confirming the strong interest that Italian entrepreneurs have for the United Kingdom and the dynamism of the bilateral relationship between Italy and the UK. It is also for this reason that the UK-Italy Business Awards ceremony became such an important appointment for the Italian business world.
