Dialogue, knowledge sharing and public-private collaboration: these are the conditions for growing the Life Sciences sector

Milan, 30 September 2015 – The focus is on Life Sciences, covering the entire healthcare supply chain from biotechnology and medical devices to pharmaceuticals. The figures are record-breaking, having tripled compared to last year: 1,588 B2B meetings are scheduled, with 35,055 views of participant profiles. The second edition of “Meet in Italy for Life Sciences 2015” opens today in Milan: a three-day event featuring bilateral meetings between national and international companies, research centres and investors.

The initiative, which was established with a highly inclusive approach, aims to engage public and private stakeholders to foster new business opportunities and collaborations for European and business development projects. Furthermore, through the conference scheduled for 2 October at the Unicredit Tower Hall Auditorium, MIT4LS 2015 intends to address the challenges of supporting the sector's growth alongside industry experts and institutional representatives, in light of the significant potential of the Life Sciences system.

This is a supply chain that, in Europe, comprises 73,320 companies (Cluster Observatory 2011 data) and in which Italy holds the top position. It is worth noting that the healthcare supply chain generates, both directly and through related industries, more than 11% of Italy's total GDP (source: Confindustria Technical Health Committee). Looking at specific segments of the Life Sciences, there are over 3,000 companies in the Medical Devices sector with more than 54,000 employees and an average R&D investment of 6.2% of turnover. The biotechnology industry has also experienced extraordinary development: the healthcare biotechnology segment (Red Biotech) is, in fact, driving the entire sector with an estimated 277 active companies (out of a total of 384). This segment alone accounts for a predominant share of total turnover (96%) and investment in the entire sector (94%), fuelling a growing number of projects in both diagnostics and therapy.

“The development of the Life Sciences supply chain is an unmissable opportunity for the country’s growth and development,” stated Rosario Bifulco, President of the Lombardy Life Sciences Cluster and Assolombarda Board Member for Territorial Competitiveness, Environment and Energy –. “Lombardy is the region with the highest concentration of universities, research centres and healthcare industry companies. It is fertile ground for building an industrial plan for the entire supply chain together, aimed at launching a new season of growth. In this direction, the Lombardy Cluster, through initiatives such as Meet in Italy, intends to foster the integration of skills to develop more effective technology transfer processes and increase the capacity to utilise European programmes.”

“In Lombardy, we have 127 companies in the biotechnology sector (approximately 53% of the national total), which generate about 48% of the total turnover,” stated Mario Melazzini, Regional Minister for Productive Activities, Research and Innovation of the Lombardy Region – “but we also have 13 universities, 7 medical schools, 2 bioengineering faculties, 28 hospitals hosting university courses, 19 IRCCS, and 288 research centres active in the health sector. These are just some of the figures that reflect the strength and impact of the healthcare industry’s production and research system in our region. This is an extraordinary resource that we wish to further enhance, as demonstrated by our decision to include the healthcare industry among the 7 strategic areas defined by our Smart Specialisation Strategy, a guidance document for the use of European funds in the new community programming period.”

“The 2015 edition of Meet in Italy is already a success. Beyond the numbers, the event is the result of significant synergies. It is a concrete objective achieved by the Confindustria system at all levels and, which is even more important for Confindustria Lombardia, it represents exactly what companies are asking of us: the creation of business opportunities, the possibility of opening up to new markets, and networking,” emphasises Confindustria Lombardia President Alberto Ribolla –. “The level of cooperation achieved for Meet in Italy between the private sector and institutions, between clusters and companies, must serve as a model, not only for the Life Sciences sector, for facing the challenges that the profound changes in competitive scenarios impose upon us.”

Meet in Italy for Life Sciences 2015 is organised by ALISEI, Assobiomedica, Assobiotec, Assolombarda, BioPmed, Confindustria Lombardia, Confindustria Toscana, the Tuscan Life Sciences District, the Regional Foundation for Biomedical Research, the Italian Trade Agency (ITA), Lazio Innova, Unicredit and Unicredit Start Lab. It is held in collaboration with the Enterprise Europe Network, the European Commission and the Lombardy Region. The event is supported by the Ministry of Economic Development.

Attachments

• Meet in Italy - 30Sep15_PR FINAL.pdf