Hessen's partner region Emilia-Romagna

Since 29 July 1992, Hesse has had a partnership with one of the most beautiful Italian regions, Emilia-Romagna. Its location in northern Italy, between the Adriatic Sea, the Apennine mountain range and the river Po, makes it a tourist gem. Bologna, the capital city on the Via Emilia, is the seat of the oldest European university, which has earned it the nickname "La dotta" (The Scholar).

Facts about Emilia-Romagna

The attraction of this region, which at around 22,000 km² roughly corresponds to the size of Hessen and is home to 3.9 million people, lies in its cultural and economic diversity. The productive industry is characterised by small-scale industry organised in districts with a strong export orientation, such as Carpi for knitwear, Modena for tiles and Faenza for ceramics. Other well-known companies include the famous car manufacturers Ferrari, Maserati and Lamborghini, and the motorbike manufacturer Ducati.

Perhaps it is precisely the gastronomy that makes this region famous all over the world. The agricultural and food production reaches an extremely high level in terms of quantity and variety. Products such as Parma ham, Parmigiano Reggiano (Parmesan cheese) and the balsamic vinegar of Modena enjoy an excellent reputation and are also well known outside Europe.

Cooperation: Science, economy, environment, social affairs

The cooperation with Hessen is of a diverse nature. The Representation of the State of Hessen to the European Union in Brussels is also home to the representations of the partner regions Emilia-Romagna, Aquitaine and Wielkopolska, which enables very close cooperation. Five Hessian universities and one university of applied sciences have a total of eleven cooperation agreements with three of the five universities in Emilia-Romagna. Other important areas of cooperation are the economy, environment and social affairs. There is particularly intensive cooperation with the Monte Sole Peace School in the field of youth exchange.