by In Trieste
It was definitely a historical moment for our city as BAT announced the opening of a Better Tomorrow Innovation Hub in Trieste on Tuesday 28 September, with construction works beginning mid-November.
The hub, which will be built in Dolina, will host a new manufacturing site for BAT’s New Category products, a digital boutique, innovation lab and center of excellence for digital transformation and digital marketing. It will be dedicated to research, development and production of reduced-risk product lines.
“It’s a day for history books” underlined the president of Friuli Venezia Giulia, Massimiliano Fedriga.
With this grand project, which involves a total investment of up to EUR500 million over the next five years, BAT aims to emphasize its commitment to its transformation strategy, as well as the importance of Italy and Trieste to its business, while delivering a greener, more sustainable future for all stakeholders.
“It is the first investment, others will follow” said the head of the Trieste port Zeno D’Agostino, thinking about the great challenge that the “future of the port is not the port”.
In addition to logistics and transport, the Trieste airport “becomes increasingly central” thanks to production facilities in the Dolina free zone and the possibility of operating “in a chaotic world” as a “place of tranquility for international investments”.
Agriculture Minister Stefano Patuanelli said that “the development of new technologies in the tobacco sector is a path that BAT has been following for a long time and Trieste is fertile ground for its investments”.
Multiple production lines are anticipated to be developed on an area of 20,000m2, for European and global export of BAT’s reduced-risk products – Vuse (vapour), Velo (modern oral) and glo (tobacco heating products).
“Today’s announcement is another step in an exciting journey that will see us become an even more positive and differentiating force in Italy” said Kingsley Wheaton, Chief Marketing Officer of BAT.
The works for the construction of the structure will begin in mid-November: with the first module scheduled to be completed and activated in May.
