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Click here for Emilia-Romagna website (English version)
- President John H. Stroger, Jr. launches the International Trade Partnership Program in 1995 to promote increased trade and investment between Chicago-Cook County and strategic Partner Regions around the world. Its mission is to foster bilateral trade and to provide a linkage service between overseas firms and local firms.
- President Stroger leads a historic first trade mission to Emilia-Romagna, Italy in July 1997. The delegation comprises fifteen company executives and business leaders. The program includes dozens of business matching meetings with Italian companies.
- President Stroger signs a formal trade partnership agreement in July 1997 with Antonio LaForgia, president of the Region of Emilia-Romagna.
- President Stroger signs a formal trade partnership agreement in July 1997 with Vittorio Prodi, president of the Province of Bologna and brother of European Commission president and former Italian prime minister Romano Prodi.
- President Stroger establishes the Italy/EU Desk in September 1997. Professional bilingual economic development staff provides direct and customized assistance to companies planning to expand to the Chicago-Cook County and Italian markets.
- Cook County hosts an official delegation from Emilia-Romagna in October 1998. The delegation is comprised of 20 government officials and business executives representing 15 industrial sectors. An extensive business-matching program involving more than 100 local companies is organized.
- Cook County, the State of Illinois, and the City of Chicago, jointly coordinate an attraction marketing campaign in northern Italy to promote direct investment in Illinois. Business seminars are held in four major commercial centers, including Bologna in October 1999. More than 200 Italian companies participate in the program.
- President Stroger forms the Partners with Italy Committee in January 2000 to facilitate the International Trade Partnership Program (ITPP) with Emilia-Romagna and other Italian regions. As of August 2001, forty-two business and government leaders have been appointed to the Committee, representing the powerful and diversified economies of both Chicago-Cook County and Italy.
- As a direct result of the Cook County ITPP initiative, the City of Chicago and Cook County are invited to participate in a new international network of global cities and regions. Cook County plans to host the first global meeting in North America in 2002.
- Cook County and the Italian American Chamber of Commerce-Midwest lead a construction sector business delegation to Bologna, in conjunction with SAIE trade show, in October 2002.
- The Chicago-Cook Business Center assists more than 60 Emilia-Romagna manufacturers and more than 100 Cook County companies during the 2002 and 2004 Pack Expo (largest packaging sector trade show) at McCormick Place.
- Throughout the year, business assistance, strategic partner development and trade show participation and business matchmaking meetings are arranged for Chicago-Cook County and Emilia-Romagna companies, especially in the food processing, packaging, industrial machinery, industrial automation and material handling sectors, including targeted activity during National Manufacturing Week, Promat (material handling), FMI/Fancy Food, Pack Expo and NPE (plastics) trade shows.
- 2007 marks the 10th Anniversary of the Trade Partnership Agreement. Special events in conjunction with the 100th anniversary of the Italian American Chamber of Commerce-Midwest are underway for September 2007.
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