26-09-2024

“The investments needed by the water sector require long-term planning, with a time horizon of at least 10 years,” said Franco Masenello, CEO of B.M. Tecnologie Industriali SpA (benefit corporation) and 2f Water Venture Srl (benefit corporation), speaking at yesterday’s roundtable on “Infrastructural Investments and Financial Instruments for the Protection of Water Resources” during the Water Festival at the Fortezza da Basso in Florence. “We’re out of time; the resilience of infrastructures is severely compromised by the slow pace of investments. We need an additional €5 billion a year on top of what’s already being invested.”

“There are two financial tools we should focus on,” Masenello continued. “First, adjusting the price of water to reflect its value, aiming for €100-110 per resident per year in investments. Second, a revolving fund of several tens of billions to be repaid over 30 years. We need the attention of large national procurement centers, as well as conventions, framework agreements, and tools dedicated to the water sector.”
Today, Giovanni Giovannetti, the Almaviva Group’s Director of CyberSecurity, talked about “Cybersecurity: Solutions for Complying with the NIS2 Directive”.

“In recent years, cybersecurity in the water sector has become increasingly complex due to digitalization,” emphasized Giovannetti. “The primary challenges involve the integration between OT and IT systems and the complexity of managing essential critical infrastructures. Furthermore, the water sector is governed by a constantly evolving regulatory framework, in which the NIS2 directive will serve as a reference point in the coming years. In this context, it’s even more crucial that we understand the role of cybersecurity in protecting the environment, residents, and the entire water ecosystem, while ensuring compliance with regulations.”