National Technology Cluster Life Sciences Trade winds – 2021 Shareholders’ Meeting
At the center of the meeting the news of the summit between the Diana Bracco Presidency and the Minister of Economic Development Giancarlo Giorgetti, to present the Reshoring and National Network for Technology Transfer projects.
The annual Ordinary Assembly of Members of the National Life Sciences Technology Cluster ALISEI was held on 28 April, during which the 2020 economic budget and the presentation of the new partner Hub Innovazione Trentino were approved.
The ordinary session opened with an update of the meeting between the Alisei presidency and the Minister of Economic Development Giancarlo Giorgetti. On April 22, 2021, the Alisei delegation led by the President Diana Bracco together with the partners Farmindustria, Egualia and Aschimfarma Federchimica, they presented to the government authorities the two projects to enhance the production of medicines in Italy and the creation of a national network for technology transfer, so that this is included within the National Recovery Plan and Resilience (PNRR).
Specifically, the Alisei National Life Sciences Technology Cluster is working together with Farmindustria, Egualia and Aschimfarma Federchimica on the important Reshoring plan that aims to enhance the production in Italy of drugs and active ingredients. The shared goal is to further strengthen the competitiveness of the Italian pharmaceutical supply chain, innovating production processes in terms of optimization and reduction of the environmental impact. The project has received the support of about 84 companies in the pharmaceutical sector in Italy, which are ready to quickly invest around 1.9 billion euros, with an employment potential of 11 thousand employees.
«The project aims to enhance the production of fundamental molecules to produce essential drugs, the shortage of which in the event of a pandemic becomes dramatic. Today 40% of the drugs used in the EU come from third countries, in particular from Asia (China and India), and there is a strong urgency to increase our strategic independence and the European Union for the supply of health products “- explains President Diana Bracco.
A project that joins the creation of a National Network for Technology Transfer (RTT), which puts the existing Technology Transfer structures in universities, the IRCCS and research centers into an integrated network, as well as providing services high level for scouting, evaluation and support for patenting activities.
The goal is to «carry out new projects of potential interest for the market and the activation of paths to accompany the growth of academic start-ups and spin-offs. The National Network for Technology Transfer wants to favor the creation and acceleration of new companies in the Life Sciences sector: innovative companies that can provide new therapies, products and services and thus contribute to the relaunch of growth ». he claims Diana Bracco, President of the Alisei Life Sciences National Technology Cluster.
“Increasing the country’s competitiveness is essential to have an even more innovative, solid and diversified pharmaceutical industry in research and production activities. Especially in this moment of localization of investments at an international level. And the government’s work goes in this direction. Pharmaceutical companies are at the forefront with investments to be used quickly and proposals to increase the strategic contribution of our sector to the country “, he specifies Massimo Scaccabarozzi, President of Farmindustria.
“The lines on which the Alisei Cluster is moving respond to the need to give a serious industrial policy project capable of restoring greater autonomy and capacity to react to the pharmaceutical industry – he comments Enrique Häusermann, President of Egualia -. In particular, the project for the reshoring of drugs and active pharmaceutical ingredients in Italy leverages all the strengths of the sector: quality of production, quality of employees, efficiency of the related industries and also fully responds to the objective of increasing strategic independence in the health and pharmaceutical sector wanted by the EU to solve the major vulnerabilities that emerged during the pandemic. For this reason – concludes Häusermann – it is a priority to ensure adequate production capacity and flexibility in the key areas of the sector and it is essential to create synergy between all available financial resources – also overcoming the constraints of the temporary framework on state aid from which obstacles irreconcilable with investments arise. in the pharmaceutical sector – for a single strategic objective: the production capacity and competitiveness of the entire pharmaceutical chain with respect to international markets ».
«The Covid-19 pandemic has clearly highlighted the vulnerability of the pharmaceutical sector’s supply chain and how much Europe is dependent on Asian countries for the supply of active pharmaceutical ingredients. Undoubtedly the supply chain is complex but we must not forget that the active ingredient is the main product for the production of a medicine – he explains Paolo Russolo President of Federchimica Aschimfarma – Italy is the first European country for production capacity and is able to produce about 90% of all the molecules that Europe needs. We are an excellence, we have technologies and skills and we invest over 3% of our turnover in research. Now, for the success of the initiative, two things are necessary: the identification of the essential active ingredients and at risk of shortage, with the relative quantities, and a simplification of the regulatory system, aimed at making the authorization processes of the agencies more efficient and rapid. European health and environmental issues.
Faced with our requests, we believe it essential that all the institutional actors and representatives of the sector companies involved in the Reshoring Project sit at the same table to identify the most appropriate times and ways for carrying out the project ».