Life Sciences represent one of the most promising hi-tech industries in Italy and have a significant growth potential in the medium to long term.
There is a growing opinion that to be able to return to growth, both quantitatively and qualitatively, Italy must necessarily embrace the development of hi-tech sectors. One of these is the Life Sciences sector which comprises biotechnologies, biomedical technologies and pharmaceuticals.
In fact, the production of innovation is the basis for the growth of any territory and assumes the ability of all institutions to promote the creation of an ecosystem that can act as a driver for growth and sustainability for business. Unquestionably, in recent years, major advances have been made in supporting research and innovation in all sectors of the economy, for example, the 2015 Stability Pact that introduced and/or improved important measures to promote the development of the innovation ecosystem, such as the tax credit and patent box. But there are still many unresolved issues, especially within the vaster area of pro-business and pro-research measures within key sectors of the economy.
A country such as Italy that wants to sustain its industrial growth over the long-term must favor productive sectors which are high-tech and are in high demand in both domestic and global markets. Within this context, Life Sciences represents a lead sector for Italian industry and, as such, deserves structured support and a long-term strategic approach.
A Scientific Committee, composed of internationally recognized experts, supervised and participated actively in this project: Francesco Granata (Executive in Residence, Warburg Pincus; President, Circassia), Francesca Pasinelli (General Director, Telethon), Andrea Ponti (Partner, GHO Capital) and Pier Giuseppe Pelicci (Research Director of the European Institute of Oncology,IEO). The paper below summarizes the suggestions and observations that emerged during the Advisory Board meetings and the three project meetings which took place between May and September of this year.