SHANGHAI -- For many Italian companies, the ongoing China International Industry Fair (CIIF) in Shanghai is not only the first physical exhibition they have attended since the COVID-19 epidemic but also a great start for expanding the market and gaining recovery momentum under the global economic gloom.

The Italian National Pavilion was unveiled on Tuesday at the start of the 22nd CIIF in Shanghai, which coincides with the Week of Italian Mechanical Engineering in China.

Covering an area of more than 1,200 square meters, the Italian National Pavilion features 47 Italian exhibitors, including Maserati, Costa Crociere, and Iveco, displaying advanced manufacturing technologies and high-quality products from Italy.

Paolo Bazzoni, president of the China-Italy Chamber of Commerce, said that this year's CIIF is of special significance to them since it is the first physical exhibition they have participated in this year.

"This is an opportunity to further boost the presence of Italian mechanical and industrial enterprises here in China," said Bazzoni.

The exquisite ship model Costa Venezia, which was built by the Italian shipbuilding company Fincantieri, was the star of the Italian Pavilion.

Fabrizio Ferri, CEO of Fincantieri China, said that the display of this model symbolizes the cooperation between China and Italy to build luxury cruise ships, which is progressing steadily.

"The CIIF is a very good platform for enterprises from Italy to show the Chinese people that Italy is not only about fashion and food, but also about mechanical engineering and high technology applications," Ferri said.

Italian Ambassador to China Luca Ferrari said that machinery and industrial technologies are Italy's main exports to China, and the CIIF is the top arena.

Ferrari noted that the CIIF, which has been held offline, illustrates how well China has fought the COVID-19 epidemic.

Tiziano Sandonini, vice president of products for Santoni (Shanghai) Knitting Machinery, said that their business in China has been moving faster than in other countries after the epidemic.

With many exhibitions canceled this year, Sandonini believed that the CIIF provides a platform for contacting customers and enhancing the company's image.

As this year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Italy, attendees at the CIIF believe that the special history encourages deeper cooperation between the two countries to achieve win-win goals.

Gianpaolo Bruno, the trade commissioner of the Italian Trade Commission (Beijing Office) at the Italian Trade Agency, said that, based on the support and trust between the two countries during the COVID-19 epidemic, there are many synergies to exploit for China and Italy in the near future.

"Given the high complexity of the international economic environment, we need to collaborate for better economic development," Bruno said.