From Europe to the US, Italy’s Biotech Sector Takes Center Stage Worldwide
From social-media campaigns to PR and media relations, our recent work in the United States has supported a sizable group of companies, regional investment-promotion agencies, universities, and research clusters that joined the World Health Expo (WHX) in Miami and BIO in Boston with the Italian Trade Agency.
Life sciences—from pharmaceuticals to medical devices—is a field in which Italy already ranks among the world’s leaders, and one where we continue to innovate.
The life-sciences supply chain generates 11 percent of Italy’s GDP, and the pharmaceutical industry alone counts 770 manufacturing sites—second-highest in the EU (Istat). On the industrial-services front, Italy leads Europe in CDMO manufacturing value (contract developers and manufacturers that handle both development and production), worth €3.6 billion, or 23 percent of the EU total (Farmindustria). Exports of Italian drugs and biotech products topped €52 billion in 2024, the fastest growth among the major European economies over the past five years (+60 percent, Eurostat).
Innovation is fueled by R&D spending that reached €2 billion in 2023—up 25 percent since 2019—and by more than 7,000 dedicated researchers. Talent keeps flowing, with over 76,000 graduates and 350,000 students each year in life-science programs, while Italy’s scientific output places it among the world leaders for citations in multiple life-science disciplines (Invest in Italy).
Chemical-pharmaceutical trade remains a pillar of Italy–U.S. relations: in 2024 it accounted for 18 percent of total U.S. imports from Italy, second only to machinery. In absolute terms, U.S. imports of Italian chemical-pharmaceutical goods hit $13.7 billion, a year-on-year jump of 31.4 percent. Within the sector, biotech stands out for its dynamism: U.S. imports of Italian biotech solutions rose to $4.4 billion—up 112 percent versus 2023.
On the technology side, Confindustria Dispositivi Medici calculates that Italy’s medical-device sector is worth €18.3 billion, covering both exports and domestic sales, and encompasses almost 4,500 companies employing about 120,000 people. It is a highly diversified, innovative, and specialized ecosystem where small firms thrive alongside major multinationals. The sector includes 2,527 manufacturers, 1,555 distributors, and 367 service providers, all active in nationwide production and distribution of medical devices. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) make up nearly 94 percent of the total and are distinguished by strong innovative drive, highly qualified staff, and significant R&D investment (Confindustria Dispositivi Medici).
Despite recent regulatory measures that placed new limits on clinical trials, the industry still invested roughly €1 billion in R&D. Internationally, Italian exports of medical devices to the United States grew 14.6 percent in 2024, reaching $832 million (usatrade.census.gov).