The upcoming national strategic fund for "Made in Italy" products will have an initial endowment of 1 billion euros ($1.10 billion) in state cash, the statement said, adding it would also aim to boost procurement of "critical raw materials." A draft seen by Reuters showed that the new vehicle was also entitled to invest in domestic, listed firms not operating in the financial sector. The scheme will aim to raise at least an additional 500 million euros from private investors, according to the document. Run by the state lender Cassa Depositi e Prestiti (CDP), the Patrimonio Rilancio fund was originally intended to provide some 40 billion euros of financing, but has so far invested just around 1 billion. Once the bill is approved by parliament, the government will issue a decree defining how the fund will work.

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Persons: Rome, Giorgia Meloni, Adolfo Urso's, Italy's, Alison Williams, Deepa Babington Organizations: Reuters, United Arab, Industry, Patrimonio, InfraVia Capital Partners, Paris, Equity, Thomson Locations: ROME, Italy, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Azerbaijan, Norway, France