Assobiotec launches the Horizon 2036 project
Work is now underway to identify the conditions necessary for our country to realise its full scientific, industrial and social potential. Federchimica also presented its values manifesto at its private meeting.
Thinking about 2036 today may seem very difficult, but in a sector such as biotech – which thrives on innovation – it is not difficult at all; research requires time and a long-term vision. That is why the private general meeting of Assobiotec – Federchimica launched the ‘Orizzonte Biotech 2036’ project yesterday. Fabrizio Greco, President of Assobiotec – Federchimica, recalls that the association was founded ‘forty years ago to give a voice to a sector brimming with potential. Today, biotechnology represents a strategic driver for health, sustainability, industrial competitiveness and people’s quality of life. We are celebrating this important anniversary with a Manifesto that clearly defines the values and vision that guide us’, ‘One Life. One Health. One Future’ encapsulates ‘who we are and what we believe in: a science that connects, research that drives progress, and innovation that cares for life in all its forms,’ continues Greco. “It is this cultural heritage and set of values that we pass on to the new Executive Board and the entire biotech community. Work on Orizzonte Biotech 2036 now begins from this vision.”
The new Orizzonte Biotech 2036 project aims to “launch a broad and shared debate on the future of Italian biotech, identifying the conditions necessary for our country to fully realise its scientific, industrial and social potential,” continues Greco. “The ambition is to work with businesses, the research community, institutions and stakeholders to develop a strategic proposal capable of guiding the decisions that will shape the sector over the next decade and contributing to the formulation of future policies for innovation and growth in the country,” he adds.
Horizon 2036 is a policy document that will be presented at the end-of-year Public Assembly, with the aim of identifying the main challenges limiting the growth of the Italian biotech ecosystem, whilst setting out the strategic priorities and lines of action that the Association intends to pursue over the next ten years. According to the latest survey, which is based on data from 2024, the Italian biotech sector is a key driver of the economy, comprising nearly 6,000 companies, employing over 102,000 people and generating a total turnover of 53.4 billion euros.
Yesterday’s General Meeting also elected the Association’s new Executive Committee, which will remain in office for the three-year period 2026–2029. The new team further strengthens the Association’s representativeness thanks to the inclusion of organisations that reflect the breadth of the biotech sector and the various company sizes that make up its ecosystem. Over the coming months, the Orizzonte Biotech 2036 project will involve members, the new Executive Board and a number of stakeholders from the innovation ecosystem to build a shared vision for the sector’s future, identifying the main ‘gaps’ that still limit its full development and defining the strategic priorities needed to strengthen its scientific, industrial and social competitiveness.
