Italy is no stranger to ambitious design. From cars to couture, the country has long fused tradition with innovation. That same mindset is driving its renewable energy sector.
When delegates arrive at All Energy Australia in Melbourne on October 29, they will find a growing Italian Pavilion showcasing some of the country’s leading renewable energy companies.
This will be the second time the Italian Trade Agency (ITA) has coordinated a national stand at Australia’s largest clean-energy exhibition, and momentum is clearly building.
Last year’s debut pavilion hosted eight exhibitors. This year, twelve Italian companies will make the trip, backed by Italy’s influential technology industry federation, ANIE, and inaugurated by senior diplomatic and trade officials.
For Simona Bernardini, Director of ITA Sydney and Italian Trade Commissioner for Australia and New Zealand, the expansion signals both Italy’s industrial strength and Australia’s appetite for global collaboration.
“Italy has a mature industrial base and a strong culture of manufacturing in renewables,” Bernardini says.
“By bringing our companies to Melbourne, we want to build lasting relationships with Australian developers, investors and utilities.”
A European hub in transition
The timing of Italy’s export push is no accident. Like much of Europe, the country is accelerating its clean-energy transition under binding EU climate targets. Its national energy and climate plan sets out a 2030 horizon where solar and wind capacity reaches more than 107 gigawatts (GW) – nearly triple the installed base of 2023.
As of the end of 2024, Italy already hosted 76.6 GW of renewable power, up almost 30 per cent in a single year. Photovoltaics make up nearly half that total, followed by hydro and wind. Regions such as Lazio, Lombardy, Campania, and Sicily are leading new deployments.
Underlying this growth is the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), which allocates more than AU$175 billion to green transition and sustainable mobility.
Specific funding streams back agri-solar parks, agrivoltaic systems, energy communities, biomethane and offshore wind, alongside over AU$1.7 billion to build domestic supply chains in photovoltaics, wind and batteries.
Critically, Italy has moved to streamline approvals.
New legislation that came into force in December 2024 reduced a patchwork of permits to just three categories: free activity, simplified procedure and single authorisation. That reform, coupled with regional “acceleration zones” and mapping of suitable areas, is designed to remove bottlenecks that have long frustrated developers.
Industry at scale
Italy’s renewable economy is about both deployment and production. Around 400 companies manufacture components for renewable plants, generating over AU$41 billion in turnover and employing nearly 60,000 people. Patent data shows Italian innovation is concentrated in solar and wind, with more than 1200 European filings.
That depth will be on display at All Energy Australia. The Italian co-exhibitors will cover technologies ranging from photovoltaic modules and inverters to hydrogen systems, energy storage and smart-grid solutions. Several already have footprints in Australia through distributors or partnerships, while others are scouting opportunities for entry.
The Trade Commissioner emphasises that the pavilion is not a one-off showcase but part of a longer-term strategy.
“We see Australia as a natural partner,” she says.
“The resource base is world-class, the policy momentum is strong, and there is a need for reliable supply chains. Italian firms can contribute with proven technology and experience.”
Bridging markets
To reinforce the exhibition presence, ITA is also coordinating a program of collateral events. Delegates will gather in Sydney on 27 October for a seminar on the Australian energy sector, with local companies invited to meet their Italian counterparts. The following day, the group travels to Melbourne for a joint foreign delegation briefing with the Victorian Government. The official pavilion opening, with Italy’s Consul General in Melbourne Chiara Mauri and ITA’s Sydney Director Simona Bernardini, will take place on 29 October.
These events, says Bernardini, are about building bridges at multiple levels – government, industry associations and business-to-business.
“Having ANIE with us again is important. It signals that this is a coordinated effort from Italy’s industrial federation, not just isolated firms. That kind of institutional support makes a difference when forging international ties,” she says.
Innovation themes
Several themes run through Italy’s renewable energy story that resonate strongly with the Australian market.
One is agrivoltaics. Italy is pioneering regulatory and financial frameworks that allow farmland to generate both crops and electricity, with requirements for rotating panels and crop monitoring to ensure agricultural productivity.
Dedicated recovery and resilience funds support these systems, and a new ministerial decree opens tenders for innovative projects above one kilowatt (kW).
Another is hydrogen. Since 2020, Italy has pursued a national hydrogen strategy, with AU$5.71 billion earmarked for production in former industrial sites, pilot projects for hard-to-abate industries, and research and development across the supply chain.
Italy’s national energy research agency has launched a Hydrogen Demo Valley, positioning Italy as a testbed for technologies from electrolysers to storage. For Australian partners eyeing hydrogen exports and industrial decarbonisation, this creates scope for collaboration.
A third is corporate demand. Power purchase agreements (PPAs) in Italy are expanding rapidly, rising 14 per cent year-on-year to 365 megawatt (MW) contracted in 2023. Drivers include data-centre expansion, hydrogen demand and multinational sustainability commitments. As Australia’s corporate PPA market grows, the Italian experience offers useful lessons.
What’s in it for Australia?
For an Australian audience, the Italian Pavilion is not just a glimpse of another country’s clean-energy ambitions. It is a chance to connect with a European industrial ecosystem that has scale, technical depth and regulatory momentum.
With Australia targeting 82 per cent renewable electricity by 2030, the pressure is on to deploy fast and at scale. Supply chain diversity and international know-how will be crucial. Italian companies bring both.
They also bring a history of engineering solutions in challenging contexts – from high-density cities to heritage landscapes – that may prove valuable as Australia balances renewables growth with planning and community concerns.
There is also a cultural dimension. Italy’s tradition of blending design with function could enrich the way renewable systems are integrated into buildings, farms and cities. As agrivoltaics, storage and distributed generation expand, aesthetics and social acceptance will matter alongside megawatts.
Looking ahead
By 2030, Italy expects to add about 65 GW of solar and wind. By then, Australia aims to have almost completely decarbonised its grid. Both countries face questions of grid integration, storage, and industrial decarbonisation. Both need talent, finance and public trust.
Partnerships forged at All Energy Australia will not solve these challenges alone, but they can seed collaborations in technology, investment and policy learning. With ITA’s active support, those collaborations have a better chance of maturing.
“We want to be partners in transition, not just suppliers,” Bernardini says.
“Our companies are ready to work with Australia in building a clean, resilient and competitive energy system.”
For visitors to All Energy Australia, the Italian Pavilion (RR123) offers a direct route into that partnership.
It is a reminder that the energy transition is about both international networks and domestic ambition.