Tuscany confirms its position among Italy’s and Europe’s leading regions in attracting foreign direct investment, as highlighted during the Annual Meeting of Invest in Tuscany held at Palazzo Strozzi Sacrati in Florence. The event provided an opportunity to present updated data, strategies and results on the region’s investment attraction performance.
Between 2019 and 2025, Tuscany recorded 303 foreign investment operations, generating over €12 billion in investments and creating approximately 15,000 new jobs, confirming the effectiveness of the regional strategy and the role of Invest in Tuscany as a dedicated investment attraction structure.
President Eugenio Giani highlighted the importance of having a dedicated regional structure to support foreign investors, underlining that Tuscany’s performance is also the result of strong institutional relationships and tailored assistance to companies choosing to invest in the region. He noted that Tuscany ranks among the top four Italian regions for foreign investment attraction.
Regional Councillor Leonardo Marras stressed that the €12 billion in investments recorded over the past six years represent a significant achievement, especially in a complex international context. He also underlined Tuscany’s continued attractiveness for companies thanks to favourable conditions and strong regional competencies, while highlighting the need to further support industrial development in emerging sectors such as life sciences, pharmaceuticals and hydrogen technologies.
The region recorded 303 foreign investment operations, including
- 202 greenfield projects
- 101 mergers and acquisitions
- Over €12 billion in total investments
- More than 15,000 new jobs created
Tuscany is currently home to approximately 1,400 foreign-controlled companies, operating across more than 3,500 local units and employing over 90,000 people. Recent expansion projects include companies such as Solvay, Toppan, Baker Hughes, and the new investment by Kedrion.
According to analysis by TEHA Group, Tuscany recorded GDP growth of 2.9% in 2024 (compared to 2.7% nationally), with a projected +0.8% in 2025.
Exports remain a key driver of the regional economy, reaching €76.3 billion in 2025, placing Tuscany first in Italy in terms of export-to-GDP ratio (53.1%), with a +21.3% increase compared to 2024. The main export sectors include pharmaceuticals, metals and fashion, with the United States as the leading destination market (16.2% of total exports), highlighting both opportunities and exposure to global trade dynamics.
The analysis also highlights:
- strong renewable energy performance, with geothermal covering 66.6% of renewable production
- broadband coverage reaching 63.8% of households (third in Italy)
- low unemployment rate at 4.4%
- female employment rate at 64.3% (fourth in Italy)
Challenges remain in demographic decline and labour market mismatches, with nearly 50% of job vacancies difficult to fill. To address this, the Region has expanded ITS Academy programmes from 24 in 2020 to 67 in 2025/2026.
Tuscany’s attractiveness is further confirmed by international recognition, including the fDi Intelligence Investment Impact Awards 2026, where the region ranked first for Eli Lilly’s expansion project in Sesto Fiorentino (medium-sized projects category) and fourth for Metinvest Adria’s investment in Piombino.
The region’s strong performance in attracting foreign investment is reinforced by the results of the ERDF 2021–2027 investment attraction call, which supported 12 innovation projects worth €14 million, further consolidating Tuscany’s role as a competitive and innovation-driven investment hub.
