On 6 March, the Working Table for the Internationalisation of the Biotechnology Sector was convened for the first time in plenary session at the request of the Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Antonio Tajani, on the occasion of the conference “Italy-USA: International Cooperation on Emerging Biotechnologies and Life Sciences”, hosted at the Farnesina on 14 November.
The Table is coordinated by the Directorate General for Country Promotion of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and includes Italian Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy (MIMIT), Italian Ministry of Universities and Research (MUR) and Italian Trade Agency. It is also made up of experts and representatives of research centres, the business world, trade associations and the finance sector.
The Table’s objective is to conduct an in-depth analysis of the Italian biotechnology sector in order to identify the competitive levers on which to base a strategic plan for the internationalisation of the sector while favouring internal growth and the protection of national assets; identify the dominant trends in global biotech research and development and indicate which of these are developable and, if absent, needed in Italy. In doing so, the Table intends to make a thought-provoking contribution to Italy’s strategic directions in the biotechnology sector, also with a view to attracting foreign investment. The results of the work will feed into an interim report by July 2024 and a concluding report by the end of the year.
The “Diplomacy of Growth” invoked by Minister Tajani also places the promotion and internationalisation of emerging technology sectors at the centre of its action — areas considered to be highly enabling for Italy’s future. Biotech in particular plays a strategic role in that plan, and Italy aspires to become a leading stakeholder in Europe and beyond, thanks to the skills and capabilities that exist in its laboratories and entrepreneurial fabric.
