For the first time, a national online event will present future freshmen with the degree courses and the world of work in the Biotech sector.
Ua sector rich in potential and which is playing a leading role even during the Covid-19 emergency: developing diagnostic kits, studying the virus and researching new drugs. The event is called “Biotechnology? Why yes!” and will be held on May 29 from 15 to 17 pm, in telematic mode via the Cisco Webex platform.
Conceived as a major orientation event for university courses in biotechnology, it is aimed at secondary school students and is extended to the entire national territory. The event is the result of a collaboration between the National Association of Italian Biotechnologists – ANBI, Assobiotec (the national association for the development of biotechnology that is part of Federchimica) and the Permanent National Conference of Courses of Study in Biotechnology.
«The training of biotechnologists on the national territory – says Laura Cipolla, member of the board of the Permanent National Conference of Study Courses in Biotechnology and President of the Teaching Coordination Council of Biotechnology of the University of Milan-Bicocca – is structured thanks to approximately fifty Bachelor's Degree Courses (three-year) in Biotechnology and just over eighty Master's Degree Courses (two-year), the latter divided into 3 key sectors: Agricultural Biotechnology, Industrial Biotechnology and Medical, Veterinary and Pharmaceutical Biotechnology.»
In the last five years, there has been a strong increase in the number of enrolled students: for the first level courses we went from around 4000 units in 2013 to over 8000 in 2018, while overall there were around 1800 students registered in 2013 and over 2500 in 2018 for the second level courses (ANVUR data).
«The University of Naples Federico II – adds Antonio Marzocchella President of the “Permanent National Conference of Study Courses in Biotechnology” and Coordinator of the study courses in industrial biotechnology at the University of Naples Federico II – actively contributes to the training of biotechnologists, offering, since 1996, 2 degree courses in biotechnology and 4 master's degree courses, in agricultural biotechnology, industrial biotechnology and medical, veterinary and pharmaceutical biotechnology. The University of Naples Federico II with its study courses in Biotechnology adheres to the initiative, which will take place via videoconference and will offer an overview of the training offer in the field of biotechnology, on the professional opportunities in the world of biotech companies in Italy»
"Italy has a biotechnology sector among the first in Europe - emphasizes Davide Ederle, President of ANBI - and has universities that graduate excellent professionals who, even in situations like the current one, are able to help us deal with the emergency with intelligence and competence and work on innovative solutions that allow us to manage and resolve it. This not only in the health sector, but also in industry and agro-environment. With this initiative we want to tell young people about this potential and make them want to become protagonists of this revolution that is changing the way of doing things in all sectors in the world."
As regards the national panorama, the report published by Assobiotec updated to 2019 indicates that biotech turnover has increased by 5% annually in the last 4 years and that compared to manufacturing, the incidence of R&D investments on turnover is up to 20 times higher, further underlining the importance of biotechnology also in our country.
"In these dramatic months of the COVID 19 emergency, biotechnology has shown the decisive contribution it is able to offer globally not only in responding to the pandemic, from genome sequencing to diagnostics, from vaccines to research into antiviral therapies, but also for the sustainable recovery of the planet and in particular for the relaunch of the country's economy brought to its knees by the lockdown. - comments Riccardo Palmisano, President of Assobiotec - Biotechnology is a strategic driver both for Life Sciences, which are worth more than 10% of the national GDP, and for the Bioeconomy, which also exceeds 10% of the national GDP overall. According to OECD estimates, in 2030 biotechnology will have an enormous weight in the world economy: 80% of pharmaceutical products, 50% of agricultural products, 35% of chemical and industrial products will be biotech, accounting for 2.7% of global GDP overall. This is definitely a sector that a country like Italy must focus on, without wasting any more time so as not to accumulate further delays compared to competing countries.”
The emergency situation due to the Coronavirus pandemic highlights even more the central role that biotechnology will have in our future. On May 7, 2020, the Italian strategy for the post-Covid bioeconomy was launched: over 100 Italian companies signed the manifesto "Exiting the pandemic with a new Green Deal for Italy" to relaunch the economy in a sustainable way.
Biotechnology will also be a protagonist in this challenge. Italy must decide whether to live this challenge as a supporting actor or as a protagonist.
Article published by the Cronaca editorial team on May 23, 2020 - 20:23 PM
