MILAN, July 17, 2020 – “This is the operation that makes me feel prouder than at any other time in my life because it is for the good of the country where we have our roots. It also comes at a particularly complicated time for the sector, helping us see a light at the end of the tunnel. It is an operation made possible by a great team of professionals who have accompanied me during this two-year journey. The publication of the homologation represents a new point of departure to combine ourselves with Astaldi, one of the most important Italian companies in the sector that made history in infrastructure throughout the world. One of the problems that our country faces - one that weakens us in both the industrial and financial spheres and manifests itself in the unexplainable resistance to change – is the size of our companies. But growth has become an imperative in a global market populated by giants that use their size as a point of strength. As has been highlighted by Carlo Messina, Chief Executive of Intesa Sanpaolo, in order to grow there needs to be a project for the country that foresees measures in every field. In order to kick-start growth in Italy, investment needs to be unblocked, in particular in the infrastructure sector. It must be done in the name of excellence, the protection of jobs and the creation of opportunities for the new generation, the future of the country,” said Pietro Salini, Chief Executive of the Webuild Group.

“Joining forces to become stronger. Joining forces to overcome the competitive challenge. We have believed strongly in Progetto Italia and the creation a large international player with strong roots in the domestic market, a player that is more competitive at the international level thanks to its scale, sector know-how and solid financial structure, all of which allows it to have the ability to invest in health and safety, technology and innovation. We believed in it together with CDP Equity, Intesa Sanpaolo, UniCredit, Banco BPM and important Italian and international institutional investors for the relaunch of the infrastructure sector. This project today is being done to ensure industrial continuity and the protection of thousands of jobs. The sector in our country is undergoing a profound crisis, and the government’s promise to unblock 130 public works must be upheld in order to avoid that the crisis weighs on workers even more. The court’s decision accelerates the project to expand the group with the best of Italian expertise, creating a group that today represents one of the largest European companies in the sector, with an order backlog of €44 billion, nearly 70,000 people direct and indirect employees at the global level and nearly 110 current projects in the world, more than 13,500 kilometres of built rail and metro lines, 80,000 kilometres of roads, nearly 1,000 kilometres of bridges, and 313 dams and hydroelectric dams.”