How can businesses create value in a region where economic systems, skills and resources vary so significantly from one country to another? The Mediterranean offers a particularly interesting perspective on this question, bringing together different markets, productive capacities and entrepreneurial experiences. Rather than representing only a challenge, these differences can also create opportunities for new forms of cooperation and economic development.
As part of MAGMA Fest 2026, dedicated to the theme New Mediterraneans, we spoke with Luca Forte, Researcher at the CNR – Institute for Studies on the Mediterranean (CNR-ISMed), about the conditions that can help businesses turn these opportunities into tangible value. From transnational networks and complementary markets to the skills developed through cross-cultural exchange, the conversation explores how entrepreneurship can contribute to stronger connections between Mediterranean economies. We also look at the role of cultural and creative industries in translating local knowledge and identities into new economic opportunities. At the centre of the discussion is a key question: could the Mediterranean’s potential lie not in a shared entrepreneurial model, but in its ability to create value through the interaction of different economic and cultural contexts?
Can we speak of a Mediterranean way of doing business?
I would be cautious about speaking of a single “Mediterranean way of doing business”. The region is far too diverse to be reduced to a one specific entrepreneurial model. Its countries differ significantly in terms of income, productive structures, demographic trends and institutional frameworks. Yet this diversity may be precisely where the Mediterranean’s potential lies. Within a relatively small geographical area, we find mature and emerging markets, ageing populations and younger societies, highly developed manufacturing and technology sectors alongside economies where agriculture, traditional services and labour-intensive activities still play a significant role. These differences shape distinct economic needs, resources and opportunities.
The key question, then, is how these different systems can complement one another. Capital, skills, technology, labour and entrepreneurial capabilities are unevenly distributed across the northern, southern and eastern shores. If the right conditions for cooperation are in place, these asymmetries can become the basis for productive relationships, opening up new markets and creating opportunities for innovation and growth. From this perspective, what may distinguish Mediterranean entrepreneurship is not a shared set of values or practices, but the potential to connect different economic systems and bring complementary resources together. The Mediterranean’s strength may lie less in having a common business model than in its capacity to turn diversity into opportunity.
How do relationships, communities and networks create economic opportunities and value?
Networks play a concrete economic role. International trade, investment and global value chains depend not only on the movement of goods and capital, but also on market knowledge, trust, access to information and the ability to identify reliable partners across different institutional and cultural contexts. This is particularly important in the Mediterranean, where relationships between the northern, southern and eastern shores can help bridge geographical, economic and institutional divides. Transnational communities, established business ties, professional networks and diasporas can connect markets, facilitate access to local knowledge, reduce uncertainty and help businesses identify new opportunities across borders.
An interesting example is provided by financial institutions operating across these different contexts. The Moroccan banking group Attijariwafa Bank, for instance, has developed an international presence that connects it to markets across Africa and Europe. Beyond serving North African communities abroad, such institutions can help facilitate financial and business relationships between European companies and African markets, supporting cross-border investment and commercial exchanges. This highlights a broader point: networks can function as a form of economic infrastructure. Their value lies not simply in the relationships they bring together, but in their ability to facilitate transactions, build trust, connect complementary resources and turn cross-border connections into tangible opportunities for growth and development.
How can we turn the Mediterranean’s complexity and diversity into resources for innovation and development?
The first step is to look beyond economic disparities and recognise the opportunities that the Mediterranean’s diversity can offer. Indicators such as GDP per capita, demographic structure, sectoral composition and technological development highlight significant differences across the region, but they also reveal a wide range of resources, capabilities and opportunities within individual countries. The real potential lies in bringing these different strengths together. Many countries on the northern shore have well-established industrial sectors, greater access to capital and advanced technological capabilities. Several countries on the southern and eastern shores, meanwhile, benefit from younger populations, expanding markets, strategic geographical positions and increasingly sophisticated industrial ecosystems. When these resources and capabilities interact, they can create new opportunities for innovation, investment and growth.
To realise this potential, however, we need to move beyond the traditional view of the Mediterranean as a region divided between a technologically advanced North and a South primarily supplying low-cost labour. Economic relationships are becoming more complex, with investment, expertise and productive capabilities moving in different directions. Turkish companies investing in Italian manufacturing businesses and North African groups expanding their service networks in Europe illustrate how economic relationships across the Mediterranean can go beyond traditional patterns of cooperation. They show that countries on different shores can act not only as trading partners, but also as investors, sources of expertise and contributors to one another’s economic development. The Mediterranean could therefore evolve into a more interconnected economic space, where knowledge, capital and productive capabilities circulate in multiple directions. The challenge is not to eliminate differences, but to create the conditions in which they become a source of shared value. This requires investment in infrastructure, reliable institutions, knowledge exchange and partnerships that generate tangible benefits across the region.
What skills and capabilities can emerge from mobility, encounters and exchanges between cultures?
One of the most important capabilities that emerges from working across different cultures and markets is adaptability. It means recognising that a business model, a product or a commercial strategy that works in one context cannot necessarily be transferred to another without taking local institutions, behaviours, preferences and cultural norms into account. These experiences help develop skills that are increasingly valuable in business: intercultural communication, mediation, multilingualism, organisational flexibility and the ability to build trust across different cultural and professional environments. They also encourage people to question their assumptions, approach problems from different perspectives and find solutions that respond to different market needs.
Although these capabilities are not always easy to measure, they have tangible economic value. They enable businesses to understand markets more deeply, navigate complexity, identify emerging opportunities and build partnerships that might otherwise be difficult to establish. In an increasingly interconnected economy, the ability to work across cultural boundaries is therefore more than a personal asset: it can become a strategic resource for businesses and organisations. The Mediterranean offers a particularly interesting context in which to develop these capabilities. Its long history of mobility, trade and cultural interaction has brought different people, knowledge and practices into contact. Its potential lies not simply in the coexistence of different cultures, but in what can emerge when they interact: new perspectives, transferable skills and innovative ways of working together.
What contribution can cultural and creative industries make to the Mediterranean’s economic and social development?
Cultural and creative industries can play a strategic role in the Mediterranean because they combine local identity with international openness, turning cultural heritage and distinctive forms of knowledge into new opportunities for economic and social development. The Mediterranean has an extraordinary wealth of cultural, artistic and natural heritage, alongside centuries of accumulated knowledge, craftsmanship and productive expertise. The challenge is to look beyond preservation and tourism, recognising this heritage as a source of inspiration for new businesses, innovative products and contemporary forms of value creation. Sectors such as design, audiovisual production, architecture, fashion, contemporary craftsmanship and digital content can transform local identities and traditional knowledge into products and services that reach international markets. At the same time, they can support urban regeneration, create new professional opportunities and encourage younger generations to develop their talents and entrepreneurial ideas.
Their contribution, however, goes beyond their direct economic impact. Cultural and creative industries are also spaces where different ideas, skills and perspectives meet. They connect traditional craftsmanship with new technologies, local knowledge with international markets, and cultural heritage with contemporary forms of expression. This is particularly relevant in a region as diverse as the Mediterranean. By encouraging collaboration between people, businesses and territories, these industries can help turn cultural differences into opportunities for innovation, exchange and shared development. Their real potential lies in their ability to preserve what makes each place distinctive while creating new connections with the wider world. In this sense, cultural and creative industries can become a powerful bridge between cultural identity, economic competitiveness and social inclusion across the Mediterranean.
Ultimately, rather than seeking a single “Mediterranean model” of business, perhaps we should ask whether the Mediterranean can develop its own competitive advantage by bringing together differences that are often much further apart elsewhere. Its complexity undoubtedly comes at a cost, but it can also become a source of strength, provided that networks, institutions and businesses are able to turn geographical proximity and cultural and economic diversity into cooperation, innovation and value creation.