Chiesi, record figures: 885 million invested in one year – a quarter of revenue
The Parma-based group has presented its 2025 Sustainability Report
In just one year, €885 million was invested in research – almost a quarter of revenue. This figure encapsulates the trajectory of Chiesi, a biopharmaceutical group based in Parma, which in its 2025 Sustainability Report highlights growth, innovation and sustainability, with Parma increasingly at the heart of its business model.
Expressed as a percentage, last year the group invested exactly 24.7 per cent of its turnover in research and development – the highest level in the company’s history. This commitment places Chiesi in first place amongst Italian pharmaceutical companies and eleventh in Europe in terms of absolute R&D investment. This drive is also reflected in the patent portfolio, which has risen to 6,324 patents, whilst the 36 applications filed with the European Patent Office have placed the company fifth amongst Italian firms in terms of the number of applications filed.
The centre of gravity remains Parma, home to the Paolo Chiesi R&D campus, the largest of the group’s seven research centres worldwide. There are 644 researchers working here – 26 per cent of the total – and over 70 per cent of new recruits within the sector between 2021 and 2025 were women.
Also in Parma, the Biotech Centre of Excellence has completed its first year of full operation: the centre, dedicated to the development of innovative biological therapies, is set to receive total investment of around 400 million by 2030. “In a rapidly and constantly evolving macroeconomic landscape, we at Chiesi are committed to generating not only financial performance but also sustainable value for society and for healthcare systems,” says Chairwoman Maria Paola Chiesi. A choice which, she adds, stems from the group’s identity and is reflected in the integration of ‘scientific innovation, long-term vision and social responsibility’.
Growth is also driven by employment. Chiesi currently has around 7,900 employees worldwide, over 30 per cent of whom are based in Italia. In 2025, 392 new positions were created, representing a 5 per cent increase in the workforce. At the Parma sites, the number of employees rose to 2,431, 9 per cent more than in 2024 and 44 per cent more than in 2020. In 2025 alone, 199 people joined the company, and the gender pay gap has been completely eliminated since 2022.
