Executive summary 6

1. The India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC): Redefining the Indo-Mediterranean Connectivity, Filippo Fasulo, Nicola Missaglia, Valeria Talbot (ISPI) 8

1.1 IMEC Participants: Interests and Challenges 11

1.2 IMEC in Practice: What European Port Gateways? A Comparative Framework through a SWOT Analysis 16

2. IMEC: The Quest for Redundancy, Angela Stefania Bergantino (ISPI and University of Bari), Giovanni Maria Della Gatta (ISPI), Roberto Italia (ISPI) 20

2.1 IMEC: A Convergence of Interests, Visions and Projects 22

2.2 Extra-EU Trade: A Shifting Landscape 24

2.3 Intra-EU Trade: A Strengthening Network 34

3. IMEC: A Multiplier of Energy Connectivity, Massimo Lombardini, Alberto Prina Cerai (ISPI) 46

3.1 The IMEC Energy Potential 48

3.2 A Superhighway for Electrons? The Potential for Grid Interconnections 50

3.3 The Potential for Natural Gas Connectivity: Pipelines versus LNG Terminals 61

Box 1 - Energy Infrastructure in the Mediterranean: The Role of Edison 75

3.4. From Corridor to Production Network? Hydrogen Connectivity within IMEC 77

4. IMEC: Bridging Continents Through Digital Connectivity, Antonio Deruda, Ludovica Favarotto, Claudia Schettini (ISPI) 94

4.1 Wiring the Corridor: IMEC's Digital Component 96

4.2 The European Dimension 100

4.3 The Italian Dimension 111

Box 2 - The Role of Sparkle’s Submarine Cable Infrastructures 114

5 - Complementarity Among Eurasian Trade Corridors, Leonardo Del Piccolo (ISPI) 130

5.1 Three Corridors, One Vision for Eurasian Connectivity 132

5.2 Complementarity: A Three-Dimensional Assessment 150

6 - The IMEC in the Context of EU Aims and Policies, Stefano Riela (ISPI and Bocconi University) 159

Conclusions 172