Transforming the Life Sciences Ecosystems in Italy: Innovation, Collaboration, and Future Prospects

In recent years, the life sciences ecosystem in Italy has undergone a significant transformation. This shift was not merely the consequence of a strategic economic decision, made with a long-term goal to influence financial outcomes. Rather, it was a cultural movement driven by the enthusiasm to embrace the global race towards technological innovation. Lombardia has played a pivotal role in fostering this change by spearheading the transformation of the EXPO area into the largest innovation park for life sciences in Italy. The establishment of MIND Milano Innovation District epitomizes this evolution, creating a collaborative space where public and private sectors converge to drive global advancements in life sciences. Following its steps, other regions have created through public private partnerships, clusters, incubators and accelerators devoted to the life sciences.

Regione Autonoma Friuli Venezia Giulia has recently joined the club of most innovative regions, by instituting a new Cluster Scienze della Vita del Friuli Venezia Giulia in 2021, and by making in 2023 a substantial investment of around 30 million euros to support the Cluster’s activities. This decision reflects the commitment to building a competitive and innovative ecosystem and was made with the objective to boost the local growth of biomedical research, create new startups and attract to the region large pharmaceutical and biotechnology multinationals, as well as national and international SMEs. As of today, FVG hosts over 170 enterprises, multiple research institutions, and hospitals dedicated to the life sciences, reflecting the unique vocation of the territory to innovation.

One of the most tangible outcomes of these strategic investments has been the increase in the number of start-ups in the sector. These new ventures, often supported by specialized incubators and accelerators, have introduced disruptive innovations in areas such as biotechnology, digital health, and medical technologies. Simultaneously, SMEs have benefited from government policies and dedicated funds, enhancing their ability to compete globally. Additional financial investments, a more structured infrastructural assistance and dedicated institutional support will enable these companies to further expand their operations, successfully develop new technologies, and grow their markets.

Another concrete step towards a thriving entrepreneurial development in the life sciences is the significant rise in investments, both public and private. European, national, and regional funds have financed numerous research and development projects, fostering the growth and sustainability of businesses. Also Venture Capital has started to play a more prominent role, with increased investments in biotech and medtech start-ups. This influx of capital has allowed young companies to accelerate their development and advance innovative projects that might otherwise have remained on paper.

The recent meeting held at MIND, titled "Gli Ecosistemi Territoriali delle Scienze della Vita e le Politiche Pubbliche delle Regioni" ("Territorial Ecosystems of Life Sciences and Regional Public Policies"), offered a great opportunity to discuss in depth and at a high level the future of life sciences in Italy. Key speakers included regional leaders like Massimiliano Fedriga, President of Friuli Venezia Giulia, and Attilio Fontana, President of Regione Lombardia . Their speech underscored the strategic importance of life sciences for regional development and competitiveness, and their intention to shape policies and strategies that will drive the next phase of growth and innovation in the life sciences sector. Fabrizio Grillo , President of Federated Innovation @MIND , and Mauro Capitanio , Direttore Commerciale, Programmazione e Sostenibilità of Arexpo s.p.a. , also reminded the momentousness of the decision to create the public-private partnership that eventually led to the creation of MIND, stressing once more the importance of collaborations and of shared vision among stakeholders.

Speakers of the panel "Il punto di vista dell'industria rispetto agli ecosistemi territoriali" (“The industry's point of view with respect to territorial ecosystems”) included top figures of the most relevant trade associations of the sector: Marcello Cattani (President of Farmindustria ), Nicola Barni (President of Confindustria Dispositivi Medici ), Fabrizio Greco (President of Federchimica - Assobiotec ), Sergio Dompé (Vice President Life Sciences of Assolombarda ), Massimiliano Boggetti (President of Cluster Nazionale Scienze della Vita ALISEI ). The round table highlighted the potential of public-private partnerships, the importance of having multiple funding mechanisms to support entrepreneurial development, the relevance of a collaborative approach to innovation and the key role of the institutions in making leaner rules. This includes streamlining bureaucratic processes to reduce administrative burdens, revising laws for reimbursement to ensure timely and equitable access to new treatments, and making the regulatory oversight of medicine agencies (EMA and AIFA) more open to new approaches to speed clinical trials. Enforcing more agile and adaptive regulatory frameworks that can keep pace with the rapid advancements in life sciences, is key to facilitating a quicker market access for innovative therapies while maintaining high standards of safety and efficacy.

The second panel of the event "Gli ecosistemi Scienze della Vita" (“Life Sciences Ecosystems”) addressed the potential impact of the life science sector in terms of economical growth and advocated the creation of stronger networks among stakeholders. Alessia Rosolen, Assessore lavoro, formazione, istruzione, università, ricerca e famiglia of Regione Autonoma Friuli Venezia Giulia, and Valeria Fascione , Assessore Ricerca, Innovazione e Start-Up of Regione Campania, delineated the operative actions and the strategic visions that led to the creation of local clusters in life sciences and identified clear paths to interact with all the interested shareholders.

The round table was animated by Giuseppe Toffoli (Direttore Farmacologia sperimentale e clinica, IRCCS Centro di Riferimento Oncologico Aviano, Membro commissione scientifica ed economica AIFA), Paolo Gasparini (Presidente Società Italiana di Genetica Umana, Rappresentante Italiano CHMP-EMA e Rappresentante Clinici Europei CAT-EMA), Paola Testori Coggi (Ambassador Future of Health Federated Innovation @MIND), Sara Falvo (Cluster Manager of bioPmed - Piemonte Healthcare Cluster and Life Science Innovation Manager of Bioindustry Park Silvano Fumero S.p.A. Società Benefit ), Stefano De Monte (Cluster Manager of Cluster Scienze della Vita del Friuli Venezia Giulia ) and Andrea Paolini (Direttore generale of Fondazione Toscana Life Sciences ) and defined the roles, the responsabilities, the challenges and the opportunities for all the relevant stakeholders.

Regional Governments can help by formulating dedicated policies, providing funding, and creating an enabling environment for research and innovation; Research Institutions and Universities can drive scientific research and provide the necessary knowledge base and specialized workforce; Hospitals and Healthcare Providers can offer real-world settings for the application and testing of new medical technologies and treatments; Private Enterprises, including startups, SME and multinational corporations, can bring in capital, innovative ideas, and market strategies to commercialize research outputs; and last but not least all the Non-Profit Organizations that through their support and active engagement can facilitate collaboration and networking among the different stakeholders, ensuring that their diverse interests are represented.

In his conclusions, Claudio Longo , President and CEO of 阿斯利康 , remarked how events like the one at MIND can play a crucial role in fostering the dialogue, in sharing the relevant knowledge, and in setting the stage for future advancements. With continued support from the institutions and by fostering the collaboration with all the other stakeholders involved, these ecosystems are poised to make substantial contributions to the economic growth of Italy and to promote technological innovation in healthcare.

Ennio Tasciotti

Director Human Longevity Program, IRCCS San Raffaele

Full Professor, Advanced Medical and Surgical Technologies, San Raffaele University