HONORARY GUEST

RICCARDO ILLY, President of Friuli Venezia Giulia Region

Riccardo Illy worked in the family's coffee business, founded in 1933. He re-organised the sales structure of the parent company and of the subsidiaries and created a marketing division for "illycaffè". Formerly the sales director and then managing director of "illycaffè SpA", he is now its vice-president and president of "Gruppo Illy SpA". In the past, he has also held the posts of vice-president of the Association of Industrialists of Trieste and of president of the Seminario Permanente Veronelli.

He was twice elected mayor of Trieste in 1993 and in 1997. He has been president of the Committee for the Promotion of the Transpadana European Railway Link.

He has received the title of Commendatore from the President of the Italian Republic and the "golden honorary title" from the President of the Austrian Republic. He has been awarded an honorary degree in Political Sciences from the University of Trieste on the theme of the "Eastern Expansion of the European Union".

In 2001, he was elected as member of the Italian parliament, adhering to a mixed political grouping as an independent. He was a member of the 9th Parliamentary Commission (Transport, Post and Telecommunications) and has been secretary of the Consultative Parliamentary Commission examining the implementation of the administrative reforms.

Riccardo Illy was elected President of Friuli Venezia Giulia (FVG) Region in the elections of June 2003.

Friuli Venezia Giulia Region is one of the top research areas of the world with 10,5 researchers for every 1.000 inhabitants compared with the Italian ratio of 3.3/1,000 and the one that consists of 5.3/1,000 in the European Union as a whole. FVG Region, located in north of Italy is home for three universities, Trieste and Udine and to the International School for Advanced Studies with 1,236 researchers and 70 Scientific or Technical Departments. Located in Trieste is the main multi-sector scientific and technological park in Italy, the AREA Science Park; 1,600 people work in the campus and there are 75 laboratories or research centers operating.

In November 2006, Riccardo Illy was unanimously elected president of the Assembly of European Regions (AER), which includes 250 regions from 30 European countries as members.