Founded in May 1978, Farmindustria is the association of pharmaceutical companies and is the category component of the Confindustria System. It is a member of the European Federation (EFPIA) and the World Federation (IFPMA). It has about 200 member companies with national and foreign capital, with over 130 plants throughout the country, 71 thousand highly-qualified employees (45% women), who are increasingly younger (the under 35s have grown by 21% in the last 5 years, more than the total employment in the sector). With over 56 billion euros in production, of which 54 billion are destined for export, the pharmaceutical industry is the leader in the EU together with Germany and France. And it is a strategic value for the health, growth and security of the nation.
Italy is one of the leading players in pharmaceutical research thanks to more than 7,000 researchers and over 4 billion euros per year in investments in production and R&D, as shown by the excellence of specialized basic research and clinical trials, production of chemically synthesized and biotechnological medicines, vaccines and antibodies for preventive purposes, as well as innovative antibiotics, plasma derivatives, CDMO (Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization), advanced therapies, orphan drugs: a plurality of companies and development models built in a network with the territory and its public and private excellences, universities, science parks, start-ups, non-profit organizations and the NHS.
The pharmaceutical industry gives strength to the entire economy: Italy is second in the world for growth in value of exports of pharmaceutical products between 2021 and 2024. In the last five years, employment has grown significantly above the national average. The sector has also long been committed to a more sustainable economy that is also more attentive to health, well-being and training. In these years of great transformation and growing international competition, the importance of the pharmaceutical sector in Italy has become even more obvious.
The Association's commitment to training and to young people is very important, with numerous projects as the collaboration with Higher Technical Institutes (ITS) in New Life Technologies, with an Academy that trains young people with specialized skills in line with the profiles necessary for the sector, and the School-Work Alternation, aimed at orienting students. Of note is the partnership with universities to contribute to the updating of scientific skills, for which Farmindustria has signed a protocol with the MUR and the CRUI.
The relations between the companies associated with Farmindustria and the scientific and healthcare community are regulated by a code of ethics that is currently among the strictest in Europe. Farmindustria pursues the creation of a stable regulatory environment and a pharmaceutical policy that recognizes the vital role of the sector for the growth of life sciences in the nation. For this reason, it promotes reflection on the policies necessary to stimulate growth for the good of Italy and its citizens, also thanks to roadshows at member companies in the various regions, which show "live" innovation and the production of value in pharmaceuticals.