Uganda and Italy are set to strengthen their trade and investment ties as the two countries prepare to hold the first Uganda-Italy Business and Investment Forum in Rome on October 13, 2026.
The forum, organised by the Embassy of Uganda in Italy with support from the United Nations Industrial Development Organization Investment and Technology Promotion Office (UNIDO ITPO) Italy, Confindustria Assafrica & Mediterraneo and Bergs&More, will bring together government officials, businesses and potential investors from the two countries.
The event will provide a platform for Ugandan and Italian companies to explore trade, investment, technology transfer and industrial partnerships.
The discussions will focus on sectors including agribusiness and agro-processing, energy, manufacturing, industrial development, machinery and production technologies, healthcare and logistics. Tourism and other areas of economic cooperation are also expected to feature in Uganda’s efforts to expand its exports and attract investment.
Speaking to the media at the Uganda Media Centre, Uganda’s ambassador to Italy, Elizabeth Paula Napeyok, said the forum was part of efforts to deepen the cordial relations between Uganda and Italy and turn the existing diplomatic relationship into stronger commercial ties.
Napeyok said Uganda and Italy had already taken steps to strengthen cooperation in areas that support private businesses, including small and medium enterprises.
She said the Rome forum would give Ugandan businesses an opportunity to engage directly with Italian companies and investors while also exposing them to modern technologies, production methods and manufactured goods.
According to the ambassador, Ugandan businesspeople participating in the forum will also have an opportunity to visit Italian industries and learn from their production systems.
She said the forum would further provide a platform for Ugandan companies to showcase products such as coffee and cocoa to the Italian market and explore opportunities to increase exports.
Napeyok said the engagement could also encourage Italian investors to consider Uganda as a destination for investment, particularly in sectors where the country is seeking to expand production and value addition.
The official forum programme confirms that the event will include institutional discussions, sector-focused panels and business-to-business and business-to-government meetings between Ugandan participants and their Italian counterparts.
Henry Mayega, Head of the International Economic Cooperation Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said the forum would help Uganda broaden its export base beyond coffee.
Mayega said coffee remains one of Uganda’s major export products, but the country needs to find additional markets for other products that are manufactured or produced locally.
He said the forum would therefore give Ugandan businesses an opportunity to introduce more products to the Italian market and establish relationships with potential buyers and investors.
Mayega urged companies interested in participating to work with the Private Sector Foundation Uganda (PSFU) and other relevant institutions to access information about the forum and participation opportunities.
The forum comes as Uganda seeks to increase foreign investment, expand exports, promote industrialisation and move from exporting mainly raw agricultural products to higher-value goods.
