In the biotechnology sector, the event “Patents and Secrets: Technology Transfer in Life Sciences” aimed to facilitate the transition of scientific discoveries from the laboratory to the market. Organized by ITTBioMed by Edra and DLA Piper, with support from Lendlease, MIND, and T-Factor, the event promoted dialogue among professionals to strengthen the biotech sector in Italy and protect industrial property rights.

Fabrizio Grillo, President of Federated Innovation @MIND, was also present at the event. He shared his vision for the future of innovation and research in Italy, focusing on the importance of a cohesive ecosystem that can support and promote technology transfer and innovation. The President outlined various aspects and challenges facing the innovation sector, highlighting in particular the bureaucratic and financial difficulties. “Looking at the current landscape, one wonders why, despite the available resources, there are still significant obstacles to the effective use of these funds,” Grillo stated, pointing out the bureaucratic blocks that complicate administrative management, while noting that some barriers are beginning to be overcome.

The President continued by discussing Federated Innovation, a network of companies founded three years ago as part of the Millennium Innovation District, which includes significant entities such as the Galeazzi Sant’Ambrogio Hospital, Human Technopole, Arexpo, and soon the State University. Grillo listed efforts to create an attractive ecosystem within Federated Innovation, which comprises about forty companies and a hundred start-ups, mainly active in life sciences. “The onboarding of new companies,” Grillo explained, “is a daily and challenging process due to the difficulty of attracting new entrepreneurial ventures. Policies on education and training, including lifelong learning, are essential to support and nurture the ecosystem.”

Despite the progress and ongoing research, Grillo emphasized the difficulties and lack of coordination in funding and research projects, and the need for a more centralized approach. The President concluded by highlighting future challenges, such as the regulation of privacy and health data, hoping for benefits from the new European regulations that will need to be examined, evaluated, and studied. Finally, he reiterated the importance of an innovative approach in analyzing the impact of health policies, for a more efficient and integrated system that benefits both the private sector and the nation.