Biotechnology in Italy: Stronger Ties Between the Academic and Business Worlds are Transforming Research into a Burgeoning Sector

Italy's Biotech Hotspots click to enlarge

Why have so many companies chosen Italy?  According to InvestInItaly - the Italian organization for investment promotion, Italy’s advantages include its infrastructure, central location within Europe, and R&D business costs lower than Germany, France, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands.

When asked his reasons for building a new research centre in Italy, Roberto Gradnik, Regional Vice-President of Serono identified cost as a major factor. 

"Italy has very good productivity which is comparable to anywhere else in Europe. The cost of a researcher is 50% lower than in Switzerland".

Science Parks Bring Together Academia, Research and Business

Members of the British Columbia Delegation Visited the San Raffaele Biomedical Science Park in Milan.

The Park is home to the San Raffaele Scientific Institute with over 400 scientists working in gene therapy, stem cells, and therapeutic areas such as oncology, neuroscience, inflammation, and infectious disease.  Research that results in patent applications, opportunities for licensing, or the formation of a new company is managed by the Park’s dedicated internal Biotechnology Transfer Centre.

Several biotech companies including BioXell S.p.A., which recently signed a US$150M deal with Merck for its expertise in TREM receptors, are located in the park.  Clinical stage companies have the advantage of conducting clinical research at the San Raffaele Hospital, also housed in the park.  The hospital runs over 140 clinical trials per year.

Plans are now underway for expansion of the Park with the construction of 74,000 square meters of new laboaratory space to boost the research capacity both for new companies and the Research Institute.  The Park is even connected to the Milan Subway system with its own internal station.

BC Biotech Executive Director Karimah Es Sabar feels that visiting parks such as the San Raffaele Park provides a great opportunity to learn from each other's strengths.

“Just like the University of British Columbia, the San Raffaele Biomedical Science Park has all of the components for biomedical research: a university, a biomedical research institute, several biotech companies, a hospital for conducting clinical trials, plus a technology transfer centre all within one campus,” remarked Ms. Es Sabar.