The months of July and August, which in the Italian tradition have always coincided with the summer break, have actually been particularly intense and satisfying months for the SMET Group. The participation of the Group to the three days of the Sustainable Intermodal Logistics Association (ALIS), first, and the awarding of the Person of the Year 2021 prize to the undersigned, afterwards, have represented the apex of an extraordinary period, despite the difficulties of the moment, for the company.

First of all, because the discussion promoted by ALIS allowed us to highlight, once again, structural problems for which it is necessary, as soon as possible, to find effective solutions. As President of the Maritime Intermodality Commission of the Association, in front of that prestigious group of stakeholders, I had the burden and the honor to represent once again the importance of intermodal transport and, specifically, of the infrastructures useful for this purpose. The situation in Liguria, which keeps us constantly in suspense, requires an immediate solution, because it is unthinkable that transport can be subjected to the yoke of road closures in the months to come. The consequences of all this, inevitably, will always be delays in transport, increased costs and, last but not least, the difficulties of drivers who are forced to exhausting journeys.

Also for this reason, always during the three days of ALIS, I put forward the proposal to establish an Authority, a control room also participated by those who actually pay for those infrastructures, to monitor the progress of infrastructure and to coordinate the road system that, too often, seems left to chance instead of effectively governed.

This intense activity to raise awareness of the theme of intermodality, the concrete commitment to the sustainability of transport – of which intermodality, just to remind you, is one of the faces – and the concrete sacrifice to carry on the family business, which is not exempt from the contingencies of the period – the pandemic, the increase in container freight, the semiconductor crisis, the Brexit – allowed me to achieve the prestigious award of Person of the Year 2021 conferred by Vega Editrice and Il Mondo dei Trasporti. Talking about oneself, in these cases, is unseemly. Therefore, once again, I will limit myself to thanking those who decided to give me this award and, even more, those who made it possible to achieve this result. As always, ad maiora.