20 TWENTYFOURSEVENBIOPHARMA Issue 2 / June 2025 NEWS From cutting-edge biomedical platforms for drug testing to digitaltwin technologies that shorten pre-clinical timelines—and with them a full menu of investment opportunities across Italy’s regional ecosystems and national research networks—the country’s life-science sector heads to the BIO International Convention 2025, taking place in Boston June 16-19, ready to make its case on the global stage. The Italian delegation—organized by the Italian Trade Agency (ITA), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, and the Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy, with the support of Farmindustria, Federchimica Assobiotec, and Invitalia—brings together marketleading companies and innovative enterprises alongside regional clusters, research centers, science parks, and investment-promotion agencies, offering attendees a comprehensive showcase of advanced technologies and location-based opportunities for industrial and R&D partnerships. The BIO International Convention 2025, set for June 16–19 at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center, ranks among the world’s premier biotech gatherings. This year’s edition is expected to draw roughly 20,000 professionals from more than 60 countries and canvasses the entire ecosystem—large pharmaceutical companies, start-ups, investors, regulators, and research centers—through a dense schedule of scientific and business sessions. Erica Di Giovancarlo, Director of the ITA New York Office and Coordinator of the Italian Trade Agency’s U.S. network, explains: “Italy’s presence at BIO Boston reflects years of work by the Italian Trade Agency to promote an integrated system of scientific expertise, cutting-edge research infrastructure, and high-tech industrial supply chains. Gathering under a single national pavilion—once again organized by ITA— lets our companies show international partners the full journey from idea to production, backed by a deep talent pool and a manufacturing base that accounts for 23 percent of Europe’s CDMO value (contract development and manufacturing). Thanks to the incentives offered by local authorities and the experience our industry has built, Italy is an ideal place to develop, test, and scale biotech solutions, with innovation acting as a powerful engine for growth both for the country and for global players that choose to invest on our soil.” The Director General of the Italian Ministry for Foreign Affairs Mauro Battocchi affirmed that “Italy is an export powerhouse, constantly among the top 10 exporters globally, but not many are aware that Pharma is among those top exports. That result would be unthinkable without strong scientific, R&D and manufacturing bases. The Global Biotech Montalcini Tour is also aimed at bringing a new and more updated narrative about Italy, particularly in Life Science.” The Head of Technological Innovation and Startup at the Italian Ministry for Foreign Affairs Massimo Carnelos added: “By supporting our emerging biotech companies in their global expansion, the Italian Foreign Ministry and Italian Trade Agency stand behind our leading tech entrepreneurs and their disruptive technologies in Life Science and Biotech. Italy has so much to surprise and to offer, but unfortunately is still unrated. We are here at the Bio USA to tell and prove a different story”. Italy is a major biotech player in Europe: the life-science supply chain accounts for 11% of national GDP, and the country’s pharmaceutical industry counts 770 production sites, the second-highest total in the EU (source: stat). On the services side, Italy leads Europe in CDMO output—contract development and manufacturing—at €3.6 billion, or 23% of EU value (source: Farmindustria). Italian exports of drugs and biotech products topped €52 billion in 2024, the fastest growth among the continent’s large economies over the past five years (+60% according to Eurostat). Innovation is fueled by €2 billion in R&D spending in 2023 (+25% since 2019) and more than 7,000 dedicated researchers. The talent pipeline is strong, with 76,000 life-science graduates and 350,000 students each year, while Italy’s scientific output ranks among the world’s most cited across multiple life-science disciplines (source: Invest in Italy). The transatlantic numbers are equally solid. In 2024, chemicals and pharmaceuticals were Italy’s second-largest export category to the United States, making up 18% of total U.S. imports from Italy. In value, U.S. imports of Italian chemical-pharma products reached $13.7 billion, up 31.4% year-over-year. Within that, biotech stood out: American imports of Italian biotech solutions hit $4.4 billion, a 112% jump versus 2023. On June 16, as the Convention opens, the Consulate General of Italy in Boston will host a stop on the Montalcini Global Biotech Tour—an event series organized by the Italian Trade Agency and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation to showcase Italy’s emerging biotech innovators on the world stage. The gathering will bring together the Italian delegation and key U.S. stakeholders from the Boston ecosystem, aligning with the strategic roadmap set out by From molecule to market: Italy’s end-to-end life science ecosystem heads to BIO Boston
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