This year's theme, "Quo Vadis? The Dilemmas of Our Time,” has reaffirmed the festival's status as a cultural and intellectual reference point on national and international levels. Through a robust program, the festival has enabled numerous guests to ask the right questions and seek answers to pressing contemporary issues.
The orange-hued streets welcomed a diverse audience spanning generations and expertise. The festival's open and free cultural and scientific offerings are its hallmark, allowing a broad and cross-sectional audience to analyze the present and take a look at the future. Among the participants, families and their children enthusiastically engaged in the "Fuori Festival" activities, and over a thousand high school students profited from the panels for educational growth and dialogue. True to its tradition, the festival has solidified its position as a strategic event for discussing major international economic and political issues.
The festival's impressive numbers include 700 speakers and moderators who participated in 330 events over four days – about 50 more than last year. The program spanned the main festival, “Fuori Festival”, “Economie dei Territori”, “Meetings with the Author”, and Radio 24’s live events. The discussions on “Quo Vadis” covered the world, from Europe to the Middle East, China to America, thanks to contributions from five Nobel laureates, 20 ministers, over 80 academic speakers, 40 leading international and national economists, 60 representatives of national and European institutions, 40 international speakers, and over 60 managers and entrepreneurs from major Italian and multinational companies.
The president of the Autonomous Province of Trento emphasized that the Festival of Economics is a unique opportunity for the community to engage with renowned national and international experts, fostering cultural and economic growth. The event is open to all viewpoints, political and non-political alike. Visitors to Trento found answers to local issues, such as the highway A22 and the railway bypass. This event has cemented its national standing on economic and financial topics, making Trento and Trentino proud. He thanked the organizational team for successfully concluding the 19th edition.
The mayor of Trento expressed gratitude to the organizers and especially to the citizens who attended the events to learn, delve deeper, understand, and seek answers to the dilemmas of our time. One pressing question in this electoral period was "Quo Vadis, Europe?" Many insightful reflections emerged, helping guide our choices as citizens and administrators. He looks forward to next year’s festival, hoping further to enhance the interaction between the public and speakers.
The Rector of the University of Trento, Flavio Deflorian, reiterated that “the Festival of Economics captured national attention on economic issues and pressing political and social topics again. This was due to numerous significant contributions that provided a vital platform for discussion and debate on various issues of national and international interest. The high attendance at the many scheduled events is a source of pride for the University of Trento, which actively participated through its professors”.
“When we presented this edition’s program of the Trento Festival of Economics, I was confident that Director Tamburini and the entire team would surpass previous editions, and the results of these four days proved me right. The event was rich in perspectives, continuously exchanging reflections like a polyphony of music, guiding each of us on a journey of deeper understanding so as to be able to face national and international challenges more consciously. This is the role that the Festival of Economics should have when it comes to shaping the country’s agenda”, commented Edoardo Garrone, president of Gruppo 24 ORE.
“I can summarize the festival in one word: formidable”, said Il Sole 24 Ore Director Fabio Tamburini. “These were four extraordinarily intense days of analysis, reflections, and content, but also fun. The festival’s title, ‘Quo Vadis? The Dilemmas of Our Time’ was particularly challenging, and we tried to provide answers, the completeness of which remains to be seen. We certainly achieved one goal: to make a small but significant contribution to raising awareness about difficult choices that must be made, emphasizing the importance of individual and collective agency. We did our part. Delegating the important choices for our lives, for all of us, is not possible. We began this 19th edition with a Latin title and closed it with another: Trento caput mundi”.
Mirja Cartia d'Asero, CEO of Gruppo 24 ORE, emphasized, “Our goal with the festival was to enrich our knowledge, offer new perspectives, and help participants – young people, families, entrepreneurs, and managers – navigate an incredibly complex future. In line with the festival’s spirit, we aimed to provide models that inspire and give young people, the adults of tomorrow, the courage to follow their dreams and passions, fostering a different, curious outlook on reality. This approach is crucial not only for their personal growth but also for our entire country” and added: “The strong participation of young people in our events showed that this message was well-received, motivating us to work even harder for the next three years”.
The festival is particularly aimed at young people, with a packed program of events dedicated to them both within the festival and the Fuori Festival.
“Our goal when we took on organising the festival with Trentino Marketing was to open it even more to young people and their families. As Gruppo 24 ORE, we also see our role as being the cultural soul of the country. We aim to convey fundamental messages such as inclusion, respect, and merit to younger generations through edutainment and intelligent entertainment”, said Federico Silvestri, CEO of 24 ORE Eventi. “We achieved this goal thanks to the proven formula of the Fuori Festival, which engages everyone, not just young people, through diverse content and guests speaking different languages and perspectives. This rich schedule of initiatives was highly appreciated”.
Many schools include the festival as part of their academic programs, having students attend the panels. This year, around a thousand high school students attended the festival debates, and primary school children participated in Fuori Festival activities like “Junior Lab”, the educational cloud in Piazza Mostra with workshops for children aged six and up on economics, fairy tales, money, and more. The panels also analyzed the labour market and new opportunities for young people, the relationship between companies and young workers’ expectations and needs, and drawing workshops for the youngest attendees.
The festival truly caters to entrepreneurs, managers, and young people alike. “Thanks to the qualified proposals from the Scientific Committee and the efforts of Gruppo 24 ORE and the Trentino system, we offered a rich and high-quality program to an attentive and interested audience from Trentino and beyond. In Trento’s streets, I saw a growing, diverse community: national and international speakers, academics, entrepreneurs, managers, students, young people, and families. Debates took place in theatres but continued at café tables, in bookstores, and while waiting for the next event. This is the festival’s original spirit and the contribution to national debate and discussion that organizers and supporters aim to sustain over time”, emphasized Maurizio Rossini, CEO of Trentino Marketing.
