Located in the north-eastern part of Italy, in the heart of the Alps, the Trentino/Alto Adige Region borders Switzerland to the north-west and Austria to the north. The province of Trento lays mainly on mountain ground, with a main valley crossing it in its centre. The main towns of Trentino lay along the Adige Valley as it is the largest one and has been a historical passage connecting Italy with Northern Europe. Unlike other areas in the northern part of the country, it has one of the lowest concentrations of population in Europe, which is mostly a consequence of the fact that about 50% of the territory is covered by mountains and forests.

The economic structure of Trentino is characterised mainly by small and medium-sized enterprises, the secondary and tertiary sectors. Nowadays, the secondary sector is mainly boosted by three industries (namely tourism, the construction industry, and the agricultural and food industry) and it employs a quarter of the local workforce. Despite a steady decrease in employment, agriculture still has a strategic importance for the provincial economy. The main productions include: apples and other fruit, vegetables and grape. Important especially for its quality, the latter is used for the production of renowned wines and sparkling wines. The service sector employs half of the workforce of the province and is now experiencing a very dynamic phase based on innovation, mainly in computer and ICT. In Trentino, the last fifteen years have witnessed an impressive growth in the number of businesses involved in information technology, thus contributing to the creation of what is commonly defined as an innovation cluster.

Administratively, the Province of Trento enjoys the benefits of special legislative, financial and administrative autonomy in the management, at a local level, of the territory's most important social and economic fields.