Sviluppumbria joins rurAllure as associated partner

19 October 2023

Sviluppumbria is a new associated partner that joined the rurAllure family. This Italian Regional Development Agency has supported the economic growth of the Umbria region for the past 50 years, investing in business development and cultural heritage linked to tourism in the area.  

We asked the CEO, Michela Sciurpa, to better understand the challenges and strengths of this interesting company.  

What are the main values of Sviluppumbria and what are the areas in which it operates?  

Sviluppumbria S.p.A. for 50 years has supported the competitiveness and economic growth of Umbria, following the guidelines of regional planning: it supports in particular the creation and development of businesses through innovation, internationalization and investment attraction. On mandate from the Umbria Region, it manages the regional real estate assets and supports activities for Umbria’s integrated tourism promotion strategies. In compliance with the procedures and principles of transparency, accountability and legality, Sviluppumbria’s operations are inspired by proximity, dialogue, networking, simplification, sustainability, digital transition; and European size.  

What is the company’s relationship with culture?  

Sviluppumbria intends to establish strategic partnerships to maximize the effectiveness of actions serving the ecological transition, the adoption of green solutions and circular economic models, aimed at reducing waste and promoting the reuse and recycling of materials. These partnerships include collaborations with universities, research centers, regional agencies, clusters, technology platforms, businesses and civil society. Sviluppumbria is committed to spreading the culture of sustainable action and promoting good practices for sustainability by playing an active role in raising awareness and encouraging ecosystem players to implement sustainable practices, with particular attention to the involvement of production chains.  

Sustainability and cultural heritage are the points of greatest contact with rurAllure, how do they materialize in the activities of Sviluppumbria projects?  

The cultural heritage of Umbria represents one of the strengths of its tourist attractiveness, as well as being a cornerstone of identity for the local community. Its spread across the regional territory, dotted with villages, museums, churches and parish churches, castles and fortresses, makes it particularly accessible to visitors and residents, and at the same time, vulnerable to wear and tear. Sviluppumbria makes the sustainable approach to cultural heritage one of the fundamental aspects of its work of conscious valorisation of the territory, starting from support for the creation of forms of gentle mobility, on foot, by bike and on horseback, which widely connects all the main regional attractors. The path system is particularly developed in Umbria, starting from the Via di Francesco, which cuts across the region and reaches Rome, and is becoming one of the main pilgrimage itineraries at a national level. 

Do you think digitalisation and culture walk together?  

The acceleration of the dual ecological and digital transition, supported by the Umbria Region in line with national and European priorities, is the basis of the new regional development model also in the economic sectors of culture and tourism which play a fundamental role within the system regional production. The virtuous combination of digital approach and cultural heritage is an element that allows us to promote and enhance the visiting experience of our attractors. Digital allows for the optimization of visitor flows, better management of assets, a reduction in the use of resources, and the possibility of extending the visit experience even after returning home.  

Read the full article in Italian at this link