TRIESTE – For the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region, the priority now is to strengthen dialogue with workers and give concrete shape to employment reintegration policies at the Bagnoli della Rosandra plant (Trieste).
This was the message that emerged from the monitoring roundtable held today in Rome on the implementation of the Programme Agreement for the reindustrialisation of the former Wärtsilä site, now run by Innoway, a joint venture between the MSC Group and Innofreight.
According to the Regional Councillor for Labour, Alessia Rosolen, the meeting marked a change of pace compared to previous sessions, made possible also by the strengthening of the company’s management and the consolidation of the MSC Group’s presence in the joint venture. With the overall investment of 100 million euros confirmed, the project has entered the decisive phase of defining the development contract. However, for the Region, the need remains central for tools that ensure more effective and transparent communication between the company and the workforce, especially on issues such as training and workplace safety.
The point was also reiterated by the Regional Councillor for Production Activities, Sergio Emidio Bini, who described the confirmation of the investment plan as an important signal for Trieste’s productive system. The timeline presented and the imminent submission of the development contract represent, according to Bini, the acceleration requested for months. The Region said it is ready to consider co-financing the development contract that Innoway will submit in the coming weeks, with the aim of moving beyond the start-up phase and ensuring the reintegration of former Wärtsilä workers.
From the company side, Innoway provided an update on progress in the industrial plan. 2025 closed in line with the planned milestones, with the clearing of buildings and the start of production, which from July to December led to the completion of 170 freight wagons. For 2026 the target is to exceed 600 units, while at full capacity, by 2027, the site is aiming for an annual output of over 1,000 wagons.
On the employment front, the Bagnoli della Rosandra plant currently employs around 90 people, within a pathway that provides for the overall reintegration of about 260 workers. After the first training programmes on safety and quality carried out in 2025, new specific courses will start in the coming months, in particular those related to welding processes.
Among the next operational steps, the company expects to launch automated bogie welding by summer and, by September, the construction of the new internal rail connection within the site, supported by a 15-million-euro regional funding package for access infrastructure. The full installation of the production lines is also planned, ahead of the final ramp-up of serial production by mid-2027, alongside investments in photovoltaic systems and management systems.
In the meantime, Innoway has strengthened its governance with the appointment of Giorgio Bobbio as the new CEO, alongside Johann Gruber, with the aim of supporting the implementation of the industrial plan and improving dialogue with workers. For both the Region and the company, this step is seen as a key element in the industrial relaunch of the Trieste site.
