Italy's pharma sector calls for digital, AI and skill reforms to boost competitiveness
The 65th AFI symposium in Rimini highlighted that Italy's pharmaceutical industry, projected to produce €74 billion in 2025 and export over €69 billion, is the EU's leading hub and fourth worldwide. Leaders said faster digitalisation, AI‑driven clinical research and clear, streamlined regulations are essential to attract global R&D investment and shorten trial timelines. They called for unified health data governance and alignment between the AI Act and the European Health Data Space.
A parallel conference in Rome stressed that specialised skills are the strategic lever for this transformation. Industry and government officials warned of a talent‑mismatch and urged coordinated investment in targeted training, apprenticeships and It’s Academies to keep expertise in Italy and support the shift to precision medicine, big‑data analytics and advanced manufacturing.