Yesterday, the Swiss leg of the Montalcini Biotech Tour took place in Basel: the initiative - states a press release issued by the Basel Consulate - was promoted by the Working Table on Biotech set up by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, in agreement with the Ministry of Enterprise and Made in Italy, the Ministry of Education and Research, the Ministry of Health and Ice Agency to promote Italian excellence in the biotechnology sector.
The event took place on the sidelines of Swiss Biotech Day 2025, the sector's main event in Switzerland, and was attended by more than 30 leading Italian companies in the life sciences field, the press release states. Also invited were the CEOs and development managers of the main biotech companies active in the Confederation, as well as investors, consultants and representatives of the main Italian and Swiss research centres.
"A strategic opportunity to strengthen bilateral collaboration between Italy and Switzerland in a context of strong growth in trade between the two countries in the biotech sector. In 2024 alone, Italian exports to the Confederation increased by +54%, reaching EUR 650 million and positioning Italy among the top seven suppliers to the Swiss market,' the press release underlined.
The networking evening was organised by the Italian Consulate in Basel and the Ice Office in Bern, in collaboration with the Italian Chamber of Commerce in Switzerland. At the opening, institutional greetings from Consul Benedetta Romagnoli and the Cantonal Councillor responsible for economic affairs, Kaspar Sutter. The evening's guests of honour were Dr. Pierluigi Paracchi, CEO of Genenta Science and coordinator of the Biotech Table, Dr. Monica Giovannini, head of research and development in oncology at Novartis, and Dr. Luca Santarelli, a well-known Italian entrepreneur active in Switzerland. The speeches provided insights into internationalisation, entrepreneurship and the frontiers of scientific research.
The Montalcini Biotech Tour aims to consolidate the Italian presence in the main international hubs in the life sciences and biotech sector. In this framework, Switzerland is confirmed as a strategic partner, thanks to the increasing integration of the respective sectors in the field of health and therapeutic innovation. The objective for the future is to make the initiative a fixed appointment on the Italian-Swiss bilateral agenda, the communiqué states.
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