Knowledge Exchange on Public-Private Partnership: Trieste Experience

Takeaways from the Knowledge Exchange on Public-Private Partnership: Trieste Experience

Discover the main insights from our workshop on the Triste Experience in Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs), which was attended by 72 representatives from various functional areas. This workshop is part of a series of knowledge exchange activities organised under the “Functional Areas in the EU” project.

The knowledge exchange commenced with introductory remarks from Marcel-Ionescu Heroiu, Senior Urban Development Specialist at the World Bank, who provided an overview, covering the main advantages of Public-Private Partnerships and their applicability for functional areas. He emphasised that sub-national administrations should think strategically about using PPPs as they present an opportunity for mobilising significant resources that may exceed available public financing.

Following the introductory session, Andrea Brunetta, a project financing expert from the public administration of Trieste, Italy, took the floor to present the key elements of a public-private partnership, applied in the domain of public lighting and smart city services. He presented a concession-based contract model, involving that the private party pays a fee to the municipality. Based on the significant experience of the Trieste municipality in PPP structuring, it matches the value of the fee to historical expenses of the city project. Delving into key data and project milestones, the comprehensive presentation covered the intricacies of designing a PPP project, showing how urban infrastructure and services can undergo significant enhancement through innovative collaboration between the public and private sectors.

Emphasising sustainability, economic benefits, and technological advancements, the presentation shed light on the potential of public-private partnerships to deliver on the dual objective of value for money and value for society. Key advantages of PPPs in the domain of lighting and smart city services may include heightened energy efficiency, a reduced environmental footprint, enhanced management, operation and maintenance practices, and the provision of value-added services for citizens, through technologies such as sensors, video surveillance, wi-fi hotspots, smart parking solutions and through continuous monitoring of environmental indicators.

The workshop also underscored the importance of transparency in public service delivery projects and the role of participatory approaches for ensuring community support, particularly in the case of urban regeneration projects. Potential areas for PPPs are wide-ranging and may include green energy generation, municipal services, solid waste management, recycling, water and sanitation, public transport, public markets, green infrastructure, affordable housing, business, cultural or sports infrastructure.

If you are interested in learning more about public-private partnerships, you can access the following resources:

World Bank PPP Knowledge Lab: https://ppp.worldbank.org/public-private-partnership/ppp-knowledge-lab)

World Bank Municipal PPP Framework (Guidance Note): https://ppp.worldbank.org/public-private-partnership/subnational-and-municipal/municipal-public-private-partnership-framework

Forthcoming: A guide on opportunities for Public-Private Partnerships at the functional area level’ will soon be available, and we will share it shortly.

Date:
January 30, 2024

Time:
11.00 AM (CET time)

Event format:
Online Meeting

Event category:
Knowledge Exchange

Organizer:
World Bank