Italian Pavilion, DR Auto announces 50 million investments and 300 hires in Molise

At the Expo in Osaka the announcement with Mario Vattani, Andrea Di Lucente and Antonella Tortola

A strategic investment for the future of the Italian automotive industry and for the economic revival of Molise: during the event “Investing in Molise”, hosted at the Italian Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka, DR Automobiles announced a new industrial plan that includes 50 million euros of investments in the production site of Macchia d'Isernia and the hiring of 300 new staff. The project was born in collaboration with the Molise Region, the Ministry of Business and Made in Italy, Invitalia and ICE Agency, confirming a national strategy for the promotion of foreign investments and the valorization of Italian manufacturing excellence.

The presentation in the context of the Expo

The event opened with institutional greetings from the Commissioner General for Italy at Expo 2025 Osaka, Mario Vattani , who underlined the symbolic importance of announcing such a significant project on an international stage: “The Italian Pavilion is the setting for an announcement that demonstrates the quality and attractiveness of our territories in the eyes of Japanese investors. Molise represents a concrete example of relaunch and innovation, in line with the diplomacy of growth and the priorities of the Italy-Japan Action Plan 2024–2027”, declared Vattani.

The Vice President and Councilor for Economic Development, Andrea Di Lucente , presented the Region's investment attraction strategy, illustrating the tools made available to support businesses and new projects: from the Regional Development Contract to the Fund for Internal Areas, through the resources of the PNRR and the ERDF FSE 2021-2027 Programming. "We are building an architecture of policies that do not limit themselves to distributing funds, but accompany long-term projects. With the European Investment Bank, we are launching an important operation to facilitate access to credit for businesses that choose Molise", Di Lucente highlighted.

An industrial plan that looks to the premium

DR Automobiles CEO Antonella Tortola detailed the plan that includes the revamping of historic Italian brands and the production of new cars for the premium segment. Assembly will take place entirely in Macchia d'Isernia, with a high percentage of components coming from the national automotive supply chain.

“Participating in this event in such a prestigious context is an honor and a privilege,” Tortola said. “Our investment is based on the belief that Italy has the conditions to grow and generate value, continuing to be a driver of development and sustainability.” The meeting was also attended by Atsushi Ota, Director of Chori Machinery Co., Ltd., who spoke about the experience of collaboration with DR Automobiles, a virtuous example of industrial synergies between Italy and Japan.

An opportunity for the territory and the supply chain

As stated in the company press release, the investment will bring 300 new direct hires and important benefits to the automotive supply chain in central and southern Italy. The strengthening of the Macchia d'Isernia site will help create qualified employment and support the Italian supply chain in a strategic sector for the national economy.