In recent years, the Italian tech ecosystem has seen unprecedented growth, and this dynamism also applies to Puglia, which, through its financial company Puglia Sviluppo, has developed several initiatives such as Tecnonidi (EUR 30 million in grants for innovative startups), Equity Puglia (EUR 80 million in co-investments with national VC funds such as Indago, Vertis, AVM Gestioni, and Eureka!) and PIA (EUR 55 million in grants for SMEs and innovative startups). PugliaTechs, a non-profit community launched at the end of 2024 by local tech entrepreneurs with international experience, was set up precisely to continue the valorisation of the local tech ecosystem (574 innovative start-ups in 2024, almost 5% nationwide) and to create the right connections with tech hubs in Silicon Valley and London.
Recently at the Acquedotto Pugliese headquarters in Bari, an event was held focusing on the future of sustainable innovation in the region. The event was organised by Marco Pennelli, Francesco De Lorenzi, Marco Aboav and a group of technology-loving volunteers who are part of the PugliaTechs project, a community that now numbers 550 people including professionals, tech entrepreneurs, regional institutions and national and international investors. The meeting, entitled ‘Sustainable Technologies and Data Management’, was attended by industry experts, investors and start-ups who shared visions and solutions for a more sustainable and efficient technological future.
Evolving ecosystem
PugliaTechs was established with the mission of accelerating the growth of the local technology sector, enhancing talent and creating strategic connections with international markets. The aim is to transform Puglia into an innovation hub capable of competing globally on advanced technologies and AI. The event represented a fundamental step in this direction, highlighting the importance of sustainable technologies and data management for regional enterprises and institutions. PugliaTechs organises monthly travelling events across Puglia in English. Institutions such as Aeroporti di Puglia and the Politecnico di Bari and private groups such as Sidea Group (an IT company founded in Fasano), Impact Hub (coworking in Bari) and the Bona Sforza University (a private university based in Bari) have so far hosted the community, and other local entities are on the agenda for future events. The events have a dual track, a speaker on business topics related to tech entrepreneurship and a speaker addressing software engineering or AI topics. In addition, the events are an opportunity for start-ups and local associations related to tech to talk about their projects and initiatives, in order to position PugliaTechs as a federator on the Apulian territory. Previous events have featured speakers such as Pierpaolo Maniglio (global strategic growth manager of Reuters), Giuseppe Calderaro (lead developer of the sovereign wealth fund ADIA), Davide Panelli (co-founder ByteCode, an IT company specialising in e-commerce), Nicolò Andreula (founder of Disal Consulting and ABCD). Some start-ups and accelerators that have presented at past events include Calendbook, TextYess, SprintX, PolibaX Drone group.
During the evening at Aquedotto Pugliese, Francesca Albino, a researcher and expert in ESG (environmental, social, and governance), illustrated the sustainability strategies adopted by tech companies to reduce their environmental impact, an increasingly central theme in global corporate policies. Jacopo Tagliabue, serial entrepreneur and co-founder of Bauplan (a New York-based startup focused on data application), on the other hand, highlighted the role of data and artificial intelligence in the development of sustainable solutions, showing how innovation can be the engine of ecological transformation.
In addition to the keynote speeches, several local start-ups and established companies presented innovative technological solutions in the field of sustainability, such as Green Independence, a climate tech company participated by CDP Venture Capital, B-ME, a stealth startup, a CNR spinoff focused on advanced materials for the circular economy, and NTT Data, an international consultancy company also based in Bari, which presented some of its solutions in the field of water management and CO2 monitoring.
The future of innovation in Apulia
The event confirmed that Puglia is ready to play a key role in the European tech scene, with a strong focus on responsible and sustainable innovation. The synergy between startups, institutions and companies is the real driving force behind this transformation. As emphasised repeatedly by the entire PugliaTechs team, innovation is not only a matter of technology, but also of mentality and the ability to network.
With an agenda full of monthly events and initiatives, PugliaTechs after only six months since its launch continues to be a point of reference for those who want to contribute to the growth of the regional technology sector connected to major global tech hubs.
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