Professionals and university students engage in dialogue to build a bridge between academia and industry, guiding the new generations in choosing their professional paths
Monza, October 1, 2024 – For the second year in a row, in celebration of European Biotech Week 2024, Roche Italy opened the doors of its Monza campus to university students for a career orientation day focused on biotech professions. The biotech sector is a strategic one, identified in the EU Commission’s document Building the future with nature: boosting biotech and bio-manufacturing in Europe as one of the most promising fields of this century, essential for restoring the country’s competitiveness and improving citizens’ health.
The spotlight was on the new generations, with the key objective of raising awareness about how biotech’s scientific progress goes hand in hand with the development of new study paths, evolving skills, and new professional opportunities. The open day brought together over 100 university students from 10 different universities, who had the chance to engage directly with Roche professionals from various company departments, including Marketing and Innovation, Medical and Research, Market Access, Big Data, Supply Chain, Finance, and Communications.
“We decided to organize another open event after last year’s success because the discussions with students highlighted how crucial it is to strengthen the bridge between the end of studies and the start of a professional career,” said Sara Giussani, People & Culture Pharma Head at Roche Italy. “The dynamics of the job market, roles, and skills are evolving rapidly, and now more than ever, it is essential to support young people during this transition. This was the core theme of the day, with Roche colleagues offering an open dialogue full of insights, looking toward the future together.”
Biotech in Italy
Italy’s biotech sector employs 13,700 people across more than 800 companies, generating a total revenue of over €13 billion. Healthcare dominates with 74% of the sector’s revenue and 85% of research and development investments[1]. The sector’s value is expected to grow to €731 billion by 2028, up from €223 billion in 2020. By 2030, biotech is predicted to account for 80% of the pharmaceutical market, confirming its key role in shaping the future of healthcare).[2]
“Communication and public awareness about biotechnology are key elements in the sector’s development,” said Fabrizio Greco, President of Federchimica Assobiotec. “Society, young people, institutions, and decision-makers need to understand the current value and enormous potential of biotech and biosolutions, as only through this awareness can informed decisions and actions be made. The European Commission considers biotechnology and biosolutions to be among the most promising areas of this century to address the green transition and solve many of society’s challenges. Already, about 50% of all new drugs and therapies in development are biotech-based, including vaccines, gene and cell therapies, regenerative medicine, and many of the most innovative diagnostic systems. Beyond healthcare, biotech offers a concrete solution to the global challenge of producing more while using fewer resources and reducing environmental impact. A study by the McKinsey Global Institute estimated that up to 60% of inputs for the global economy could be produced through biotechnology, and it is calculated that, thanks to biosolutions, CO2 emissions could be reduced by 8%. Biotech Week aims to communicate all this value, and since 2013, it has done so with a program that renews each year thanks to many partners organizing events during this week. We thank them, as well as the Italian Senate and the Chamber of Deputies, for granting their sponsorship once again this year.”
BIOTECH WEEK – Learn More
Biotech Week was launched in Canada in 2003 and arrived in Europe in 2013, thanks to EuropaBio – the European Bioindustry Association – to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the discovery of DNA’s structure. In Italy, the week is coordinated nationally by Assobiotec, Federchimica’s national association for biotechnology development. Since 2016, the event has become global, with the “Global Biotech Week” celebrated across multiple continents at the same time, underscoring how biotechnology is a borderless resource offering solutions to major societal challenges on a global scale. The event received the Medal of the President of the Republic in 2015 and continues to receive sponsorship from the Italian Senate and the Chamber of Deputies.
For more information, see the national press release from Assobiotec on Biotech Week 2024:
https://assobiotec.federchimica.it/area-stampa/comunicati-stampa
[1] Rapporto ENEA-Assobiotec 2023, “Le imprese biotecnologiche in Italia”
[2]Report EY-Assobiotec 2023, “Dare valore e far crescere il settore biotech in Italia”
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