MIND – Milano Innovation District officially hosts the headquarters of AstraZeneca from today, which thus becomes the first private company to move to the important innovation district for the Life Science sector. The inauguration, which took place this morning in the presence of the Minister of Economic Development Giancarlo Giorgetti and the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Health Andrea Costa, also represented an opportunity to reflect on what makes Italy competitive and able to catalyze investments in the Health, and how to improve collaboration between the public and private sectors.
Double investment and hiring
By 2023, AstraZeneca expects to double its investments in clinical research, bringing them to 48 million euros, the impact generated on GDP with a forecast of 2 billion, and jobs compared to 2020: “The company confirms its commitment as a partner strategic for the country and for the territory “, said Lorenzo Wittum, President and CEO of AstraZeneca Italia:” Our plan for the three-year period 2020-2023 continues: we have more than 118 clinical trials in progress in 500 centers distributed throughout the national territory, and we have 200 hires expected by 2022. We will continue to work in this direction in synergy with research centers, universities, start-ups, private companies and public institutions. And for this very reason we moved to MIND with the desire to integrate in what is an ideal place to accelerate our growth strategy “.
The focus is on public-private partnerships
The MIND ecosystem, born in the area of Expo 2015, represents a strategic place to foster collaboration between public and private: “The presence of AstraZeneca is an extraordinary sign”, underlined Igor De Biasio, Arexpo CEO: “Testimony that with MIND a cutting-edge innovation district is being created at an international level “. Arexpo, in partnership with Lendlease, aimed precisely at developing synergies between public functions and businesses.
“AstraZeneca’s commitment in the pharmaceutical sector is recognized, it is an important industrial reality and we are pleased that there is the will to invest in Italy and in particular in MIND. I wanted to participate in an event that underlines this desire “, said Minister Giorgetti:” The Government and the Ministry of Economic Development intend to be present and exploit the potential that Italian research offers, thanks also to private investments, to benefit of the whole community “. For the Undersecretary for Health, investments in Italy by innovative companies in the pharmaceutical sector generate positive effects for the entire country, and the sharing of different know-how and experiences within innovation ecosystems, such as MIND, further amplify the value generated: “The Government’s commitment is to enhance these experiences and encourage public-private cooperation to improve universal access to pharmacological innovation. The reforms related to the PNRR also give us the opportunity to make Italy even more attractive. We must continue to invest in innovation and development to increase life expectancy and promote progress, including economic progress, in the country “. “Also for our Region, the companies that decide to invest in Research and Innovation are fundamental”, underlined Emanuele Monti, president of the III Health and Social Policies Commission of the Lombardy Region: “Our SRG represents excellence in research, and this excellence can only improve thanks to the contribution of private investments “.
Place for recent graduates, with attention to gender equality
AstraZeneca’s contribution to the country system is highlighted in a report produced by The European House – Ambrosetti (“The value of AstraZeneca in Italy”), which summarizes the 4 capitals through which the company introduces value: economic, social, cognitive and environmental. The important investments for the company are not only in Research & Innovation, but also in human capital. The more than 200 hires expected in 2022 will lead to reaching one thousand employees by the end of this year, through a policy that rewards the hiring of young people at the end of the internship period and to promote gender equality among the hires. AstraZeneca employs 72% of college graduates in its workforce – nearly 20 percentage points higher than the industry average and more than triple the country’s average, the company said. “Seeing large companies that encourage and enhance young people is always very positive and it is no coincidence that this happens in Lombardy and Milan, where there is an attractive and virtuous system which, despite the difficulties caused by the pandemic, continues to build opportunities for young students and workers ”, said Stefano Bolognini, Councilor for Metropolitan City Development, Youth and Communication of the Lombardy Region. “MIND and the strategic choice of AstraZeneca are a virtuous example of investment for the growth of our Territory and our city” – concluded Anna Scavuzzo, Deputy Mayor of the Municipality of Milan: “For the future it is increasingly necessary to rethink spaces and times of the routine of the city, in a process of innovation and urban regeneration, of which hubs such as MIND are virtuous examples “.