Italy - Milan

Italy is a major player in life sciences in Europe. According to Medtech Europe, the European trade association representing the medical technology industries, Italy is ranked no.3 in Europe, after Germany and the UK, in terms of direct employment.

On the pharmaceutical side, Italy is ranked no.4 in Europe, after Germany, France, and the UK, according to the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations(EFPIA), which represents the biopharmaceutical industry operating in Europe. According to data published by the Italian Trade Agency (ITA) the broad life sciences sector in Italy has a production value of around €90 billion (£76 billion) (excluding healthcare services), around 5,000 companies, and more than 150,000 employees. If healthcare services are added, Assolombarda, the association for enterprises operating within the Lombardia region, estimates that revenues as high as €225 billion (£190 billion), equivalent to some 10 per cent of national GDP.