Biotech, seven days of events to revive a 47.5 billion sector

Ninety-two events, from Turin to Palermo. Many appointments to bring young people closer tobiotechnologies and vertical initiatives from health to diagnostics, from agriculture to industry. From today until 6 October, the national appointment with theEuropean Biotech Week returns, in its thirteenth edition.

Coordinated by Assobiotec-Federchimica, it is an opportunity to approach a key sector for theecological transition, economic growth and job creation in Italy. A strategic supply chain that counts more than 4,888 enterprises (of which 54% micro-enterprises), 80 thousand direct employees and a turnover of more than 47.5 billion euro, which contributes to approximately 2.2% of the national GDP (data as of 2023). According to the National Strategic Plan for the Bioeconomy, the sector is aiming for 15% growth by 2030, with turnover exceeding 503 billion euro and 2.3 million employees; and according to Sgaravatti, the trajectory is confirmed.

Biopharmaceuticals, food, agriculture, chemistry, energy, industrial products. The bioeconomy - which uses renewable biological resources, including waste and refuse, to produce goods and services in a sustainable manner, imitating solutions already honed by nature over millions of years - is pervasive. "Citizens can approach biosolutions with confidence," explains Elena Sgaravatti, Vice President of Assobiotec. Declined as biofuels, food products, crops, drugs, they are products that, in agriculture, make it possible to produce more with fewer resources, also improving the productive efficiency of crops; in the field of health, they offer safer drugs and vaccines and personalised treatments even for genetic diseases and have been crucial in the management of Covid, from diagnostics to prevention with vaccines, to therapy with monoclonal antibodies; in the industry they reduce costs and environmental impact'.

According to a recent study by EY, carried out for Assobiotec, by 2035 the Italian sector will see an increase in demand for 61% of jobs, but over 60% of these profiles will be difficult to find. Above all, the demand for digital and technological skills will grow.

This is why Assobiotec pays great attention to training, and Biotech Week is one of the tools. "In 2024 more than 5 thousand people took part, and this year over 87% of the events are aimed at or even young people: from primary school to university," continues Sgaravatti, "through workshops, company visits, and in-person and streaming events. On 15 October, also thanks to the support of Assobiotech, a course will start at the Department of Molecular Medicine of the University of Padua to bring students closer to the industry, and the Biotech Future project, which links universities and companies, will continue: the last event was in Naples in April, with 600 attendees.