ZAI Consortium

Since its establishment in 1948, Consorzio ZAI has been working towards the development of the Veronese economy: as an institutional and territorial
organization it deals with town-planning and boosting the global development of the territory and its economy. Consorzio ZAI is responsible for four areas: the industrial area known as “Zai Storica”, a second one called “Zai Due Bassona”, the “Marangona” area and the” Quadrante Europa” the first interporto (freight village) in Italy for combined freight traffic volumes and second in Europe.
Overall it’s an authentic infrastructure system of 10 million square metres within which the Quadrante Europa constitutes a real city of goods, highly specialized
and with an integrated logistics system of the highest level.

Strategic vision, foresight and a pragmatic approach have defined the Consorzio ZAI’s six decades of work. As it enters the third millennium, the Consortium is firmly convinced that a city and its surrounding region derive their greatest competitive advantage from organisations committed to research, creativity and change.

Throughout its history, Consorzio ZAI has consistently demonstrated its ability to anticipate future trends. This forward-looking approach has shaped its development from the establishment of Italy’s first Agricultural and Industrial Zone (ZAI), to the creation of the Quadrante Europa Freight Village Italy’s leading intermodal freight hub in terms of combined transport volumes, and one of the foremost facilities of its kind in Europe and, more recently, the development of an Innovation Area.

The Consortium’s latest area of development, the Innovation Area, is set to become a cutting-edge hub, following in the footsteps of its flagship project, the Quadrante Europa Freight Village. A true “city of goods”, this highly specialised logistics hub operates through sophisticated, fully integrated logistics systems and is supported by a state-of-the-art telecommunications network covering the entire site.

Seventy years ago, Verona was emerging from the war, deeply scarred by its consequences. The time had come to focus on rebuilding a city already renowned throughout the world for its artistic and cultural heritage. At the same time, the city’s economic engine driven by industry, trade, agriculture and craftsmanship needed to be set in motion. The challenge was to develop a city geared towards economic growth: a new urban reality that would not be detached from the historic city, but rather integrated with it, while respecting their distinct functions.

It was against this backdrop that Consorzio ZAI was founded. In 1948, a group of forward-thinking representatives from the Chamber of Commerce, the Municipality and the Province of Verona conceived the idea of establishing what would become Italy’s first Agricultural and Industrial Zone (Zona Agricola Industriale).

The initiative began with the expropriation of agricultural land, which was then allocated to businesses specialising in the processing and marketing of agricultural products. The Consortium subsequently undertook the development of the area, overseeing urban planning, the construction of road and rail links, and the provision of the necessary infrastructure to support its growth.

From the beginning with the first industrial zone in Italy to the creation of the Interporto Quadrante Europa,Consorzio ZAI has always anticipated future scenarios.
Foresight, planning and concreteness are the characteristics of over 70 years of work of Consorzio ZAI that faces the third millennium with the
conviction that the greatest advantage for a city and a territory is in the activity of organizations interested in research, development and change.
Over the next few years Interporto Quadrante Europa will develop with the QE North expansion plan on a further 500,000 square metres entirely dedicated to logistics, with warehouses up to 400,000 square metres, reorganization of common areas and services and a new internal road system, in addition to the new 750-meter terminal fitting the community standard and with a road network connected to high-speed rail.
In addition, Consorzio ZAI will expand the opportunities for settlement in a newly developed area of 1.4 million square meters close to the Quadrante Europa and directly connected to the Milan-Venice motorway: the “Marangona” area planned on the principles of sustainability, environmental, economic and social development that will host companies of various sizes and different uses (manufacturing, trade and logistics)
Finally, Consorzio ZAI maintains its commitment to decarbonisation and reduction of environmental impact. This is the focus of continuous
investment in new technologies, such as the LNG fluel station, charging stations for electric cars and trucks and new lighting systems with reduced light pollution.