In June 2026, TABF Chairman Dr. C.D Lei led a delegation to Milan and Rome to sign memoranda of understanding with ECS Academy, part of Euronext, and ABIFormazione, the training arm of the Italian Banking Association (ABI). The agreements will deepen Taiwan–Italy cooperation in financial talent development and industry expertise.

The partnerships cover two core areas of European finance: capital markets and banking. Cooperation with Euronext will focus on capital market development, asset management, and cross-border financial innovation, while the partnership with ABI will encompass professional banking training, high-net-worth wealth management, and family office services.

The Milan signing was witnessed by Director-General Tsan-Nan Lin of the Taipei Representative Office in Italy, Milan Office, while the Rome ceremony was witnessed by Representative Vincent Y. C. Tsai of the Taipei Representative Office in Italy. These dual MoUs mark a new milestone in TABF’s engagement with Europe’s capital markets and banking.

Marco Lombardi and Andrea Sing Ying Lee Explore New Frontiers in Taiwan–Italy Cooperation

Multiple worldwide challenges make international cooperation more important than ever – including geopolitical risk, global supply chain realignment, disruption from AI, and the energy transition. Collaboration is no longer simply about finding new trading partners and export markets, but about identifying long-term strategic partners with whom to invest, advance industrial innovation, and cultivate talent. Taiwan and Italy now stand at just such a crossroads.

Bilateral trade reached US$6.08 billion in 2025, making Italy Taiwan’s fourth-largest European Union trading partner. Italy is widely associated with luxury goods, fashion, cuisine, and design, but it also has deep expertise in precision machinery, industrial automation, automotive components, medical equipment, energy, food processing, and industrial design. Taiwan, meanwhile, is globally competitive in semiconductors, ICT, AI, electronics manufacturing, and global supply chain management. Both economies are also supported by highly capable, internationally active SMEs.

In interviews with the Taiwan Banker, the veteran economic and trade experts Marco Lombardi, Representative of the Italian Economic, Trade and Cultural Promotion Office in Taipei, and Andrea Sing Ying Lee, President of the Italian Chamber of Commerce in Taipei and former Taiwan Representative to Italy, highlighted the strong complementarity between the two economies. They believe the next stage of bilateral relations will extend well beyond trade into technology manufacturing and industry investment, increasing demand for related financial services, as well as expertise in private banking, asset management, talent development, and sustainable transformation.

Lombardi noted that Taiwan is a global leader in the strategically important semiconductor industry, and is actively seeking investment opportunities in Europe amid the rise of AI. Both economies are built on trade, technical expertise, and highly skilled talent, giving them a strong foundation for cooperation. For Taiwan, meanwhile, Italy is more than a consumer market. It can serve as an important partner and gateway to European industrial supply chains, branded markets, and investment opportunities.

Lee said Italy’s strengths in machinery and industrial design could be combined with Taiwan’s AI, semiconductor, and sensor technologies to develop next-generation smart manufacturing. Italy’s automotive components and design capabilities could similarly complement Taiwan’s expertise in electronic controls, EVs, and AI. In the energy transition, the two sides could develop new models of cooperation in smart energy, energy efficiency, green manufacturing, and sustainable supply chains.

Both experts emphasized Italy’s extensive experience in business succession, family business services, and cross-border wealth management, which offers valuable lessons for Taiwan. Lee recommended establishing a long-term strategic partnership, with priority given to private banking and family office services, discretionary portfolio management, and supply chain finance. These services could support greater Taiwanese investment in key industries in Italy and elsewhere in Europe. He also called for stronger mechanisms for training and professional exchange.

Introducing European financial training practices could broaden Taiwan’s international outlook and practical capabilities of its financial professionals as it advances its Asian Asset Management Center initiative. Italy’s expertise in family business succession and cross-border wealth management will also create significant opportunities to expand bilateral cooperation in trade, industry, and talent development.