SHELL InventaGIOVANI Italy Announces the Launch of LiveWIRE Taranto

After 10 years of operations in the Basilicata province of Southern Italy, the Shell InventaGIOVANI program is delighted to announce the launch of its newest programme, LiveWIRE Taranto. Building on InventaGIOVANI’s numerous successes supporting entrepreneurs over the past decade, the inclusion of the Taranto region in Shell Italy’s social investment program promises to propel even more young entrepreneurs towards a bright future.

On February 6, 2020, a press conference was held to mark this landmark event. In the presence of local and regional authorities, Shell Italia staff, and industry and university stakeholders, LiveWIRE Taranto was formally welcomed into the InventaGIOVANI cohort.

LiveWIRE Taranto joins a long-standing social impact portfolio in the Basilicata region of Southern Italy. Shell’s InventaGIOVANI program has concentrated on the area for the past 10 years, supporting the establishment of 16 companies, the continued operation of 15 already-established companies, and the delivery of entrepreneurship training to more than 500 young people. These favourable figures coexist alongside the creation and delivery of countless workshops on topics ranging from the intricacies of sector-specific work to innovative idea ideation.

Under the auspices of the Tempa Rossa Joint Venture with Total and Mitsui, one of the most important private investments in Italy, according to Luca Del Pozzo, Director of External Relations for Shell Italia Upstream E&P, the LiveWIRE Taranto program will be dedicated to supporting youth entrepreneurship in Taranto and the surrounding regions. Trainings will be delivered to participants bi-annually and will enable recipients to further refine and concretise their business models. Networking and mentorship opportunities will be facilitated for business teams. Importantly, the inclusion of a pitch day will allow program participants to present their start-up ideas to potential investors, and winners will be presented with a cash prize and a month of hands-on mentorship.

As the Avvenire daily newspaper reported on February 7^th to local and national audiences, In Basilicata, they have succeeded. Make sure to be on the lookout for this exciting program as it gets underway in Taranto!