Modena is located in the heart of the regional Motor Valley – with brands such as Ferrari and Maserati – and boasts one of the world’s most important ceramics districts in Sassuolo, representing a regional sector that exports 92% of the national value (Istat 2023) and related to the international exhibition Cersaie held in Bologna and to the national brand “Ceramics of Italy”. In addition, in the northern part of the province there is one of the main biomedical districts in Europe. The province of Modena has a population of 708 thousand residents and is home to the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia with 19,000 students only in Modena enrolled in 2023-24 (RER), and the Motorvehicle University of Emilia-Romagna (MUNER). The city of Modena enjoys an advantageous logistic position with important freight terminals and proximity to Bologna (about 40 km). The territory offers a wide range of historical and natural attractions: besides the historic centre of Modena that is UNESCO World Heritage Site, we find the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines, food excellences (from balsamic vinegar to Parmesan), and lively cultural offer (from the Pavarotti theatre to the Philosophy Festival).
Population
| MODENA | Data | Source – Year |
| Total population | 708,589 | RER – 2024 |
| Male | 49.3% | RER – 2024 |
| Female | 50.7% | RER – 2024 |
| % youth population (<15 years) | 12.6% | RER – 2024 |
| % elderly population (>65 years) | 23.7% | RER – 2024 |
| No. students enrolled in university | 18,936 | RER – a.y. 2023/24 |
Residential property market trends
(Source: OMI Agenzia delle Entrate; data processing: ART-ER)
The province of Modena is made up of 47 municipalities and there are 6 Unions of municipalities. The aggregation of municipalities into provincial macro-areas was mainly dictated by the presence of important natural morphological elements (the Panaro and Secchia rivers, the Apennine ridge) and a main road artery (Via Emilia), which clearly subdivide the territory, as well as by the socio-economic and environmental characteristics that influence the residential property market.
In the past 2018-23 period, the number of property normalised transactions in the province of Modena grew by 17.6% from 8,135 in 2018 to 9,572 in 2023.
In terms of property size, transactions in the province of Modena in 2023 can be broken down as shown:
- 6% properties up to 50 sqm
- 29% properties between 50 sqm and 85 sqm
- 32% properties between 85 sqm and 115 sqm
- 17% properties between 115 sqm and 145 sqm
- 17% over 145 sqm
Description of socio-economic context
Production specialisation, districts and specialities, foreign investors in the province
Mechanics, building and construction and agri-food represent the main value chains, with a very important share, however, also of the health and fashion industries. The territory includes top companies in the Motor Valley such as Ferrari, Maserati and the Muner campus, the ceramic tile district around Sassuolo exporting 92% of the national sector (2023). In addition to the specialization in agricultural machinery, the agri-food sector has numerous excellences including balsamic vinegar, Parmesan cheese, Vignola cherries. In the province we also find the most important regional districts for biomedical and fashion, respectively in Mirandola and Carpi.
There are 318 companies in the province with a turnover of more than 1 million euros controlled by a foreign global ultimate owner (2023, Aida BvD, elab. ART-ER), including Marazzi-Mohawk, Daimler, Manitou, TetraPak, Baxter, B.Braun Avitum, Medtronic, Fresenius, Motovario, Havi Logistics.
Other top companies are Ferrari, Maserati, Pagani, Inalca, Panini, Liu.Jo, Florim, Kerakoll, Twinset.
| Companies and work | Data | Source – Year |
| Number of local units | 79,578 | Infocamere – 2024 |
| Employees | 301,039 | Infocamere – 2024 |
| Unemployment rate | 5.3% | Istat – 2023 |
Employees by key sector
(Infocamere 2024, data processing by ART-ER)
Services
Innovation, transport, smart city, etc.
Modena holds 4th and 9th place nationally (out of over 100 cities) according to two smart city indexes (E&Y 2018, I-City Rank 2019). It enjoys an advantageous logistic position with numerous freight terminals, ModenaFiere (part of the Bologna exhibition centre) and a distance of 40 km to the airport and high-speed railway station of Bologna. The Modena Technopole is managed by the Democenter Foundation, a business innovation centre, and is home to innovation accelerators, spaces for companies and 7 laboratories (Intermech-MO.RE., Softech-ICT, CIDSTEM, CGR, ToP, MaB, and MS2).
Cultural and natural heritage, accommodation, tourism
The historic centre of Modena is a UNESCO World Heritage Site but the entire province offers a range of historical and artistic attractions that include the Ferrari Museum, the historic centre of Carpi and the hilltop villages. The province registers an annual presence of 1,879,961 visitors in 2024 and an accommodation capacity of 20,659 beds (2023). Natural attractions include the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines park and, especially, Monte Cimone, the region’s most important ski area. Food and wine tourism is combined with cultural attractions, which include the theatre named after Modena local Luciano Pavarotti and initiatives such as the Philosophy Festival.
For more information: https://emiliaromagnaturismo.it/en/towns/modena
Map of main structures and infrastructure
| Distanze | Km |
| Modena – Bologna | 43 |
| Modena – Verona | 105 |
| Modena – Firenze | 133 |
| Modena – Milano | 177 |
A selection of companies from the Modena
Real estate in Modena
SANTA CATERINA PRODUCTIVE AREA
ABRENUNZIO RAVARINO MODENA
“COMA VECCHIA” PRODUCTIVE AREA
In-depth links
- Università di Modena e Reggio Emilia: http://www.international.unimore.it/
- Visit Modena: https://www.visitmodena.it/it
- Teatro Pavarotti: https://www.teatrocomunalemodena.it/
- Musei Ferrari https://musei.ferrari.com/
- ModenaFiere http://www.modenafiere.it/
- MUNER https://motorvehicleuniversity.com/
Italian only:
- Tecnopolo di Modena: https://www.tecnopolomodena.it/
- Cap Modena: http://www.capmodena.it/