Dubai, UAE; 30th February 2023: 76 million Euros worth of Italian medical devices and pharmaceutical products were imported into the UAE between January and September 2022.  As one of the European excellencies in the biomedical and pharmaceutical sector, Italy is among the favourite UAE trade partners resulting in an increase by 63% of the export into the country. 

 

The Italian Trade Agency (ITA), the Governmental Agency which promotes the Made in Italy in the world according to the guidelilnes of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is supporting the 160 Italian companies exhibiting at Arab Health 2023 (January 30th- February 2nd, Dubai World Trade Center). 

 

Spread across 4 different Halls: Za’abeel H1 (Medical laboratory industry), Za’abeel 2-3 (Medical equipment & devices), Sheikh Saeed 1-2 (Imaging & diagnostics) and Sheikh Rashid (Orthopedics & physiotherapy / rehabilitation), the Italian Pavillion offer an overview of the Italian manufacturing capabilities in the healthcare sector.

 

The 4,546 companies operating in the Italian medical devices sector generate an yearly turnover of 16.2 billion euros. It is a very heterogeneous, highly innovative and specialized economic segment, where small companies coexist with large groups. The sector is also carachetirzed by a strong entrepreneurial sprit resulting in a strong prevalence of SMEs (about 94% of the total) and by high investement in R&D: 683 million euros (2021).

 

Italy is the 1st European country for pharmacological scientific publications. With 1.7 billion Euros invested in Pharmaceuticals’ R&D (+14% from 2016 and 6% of the country overall investment), Italy has a high reputation in this field and is considered one of the excellencies at a global level. 34.4 billion Euros is the value of the Italian pharmaceutical industry production (2021), 85% of which exported.  The pharmaceutical sector is composed by 285 companies, it employes 67.000 people, and it has the highest number of SMES operating in Europe and the highest share of innovative companies (about 90%) compared to other healthcare’s sectors. The Italian pharmaceutical industry is particularly strong in the biotech drugs and vaccines for which Italy is an international R&D and production hub. Italy is also a leader in Europe for the Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO), also known as Account Manufacturing third parties, that determines 2.7 billion Euros of production, 23% of the European total.

 

Moreover, Italy is very strong also in the biothecnology sector, which is one of the most innovative segment and the fastest growing one. The sector, with 800 companies, 13,000 employees and over 10 billion Euro in turnover, is made up of 82% of small and micro enterprises. Almost 50% of companies are operating in the sector of biotechnologies applied to health that represents the most profitable area of the entire market with a turnover 7.5 billion euros in 2021.

 

Lorenzo Fanara, Ambassador of Italy to the UAE, said: “We believe in the vision of this country and we want to consolidate our business ties, not only by growing our market share but also making long-term investments and developing industrial partnerships. Arab Health is an incredible platform for Italian companies operating in the healthcare sector to learn how to approach the Middle East market, to create new partnership and expand existing ones.”

 

Amedeo Scarpa, Italian Trade Commissioner to the UAE said, “Italy is a world leader in pharmaceuticals and biomedical products and it is considered an European hub for R&D, products development and technology. Thanks to this reputation Italy is the 9th world exporter in pharmaceutical and more than 85% of the production is allocated to the foreign markets, with the UAE being one of our best partners by requesting an yearly average of 70 million Euros. The recent trend is much more than positive: +63% in the first 9 months of 2022 for a value that already reached  76 million Euro.” 

 

Sustainability is sustainab-ITALY

 

Under the motto Sustainability is Sustainab-ITALY, circular economy and sustainability are going to represent the focus around which Italy is protagonist at Arab Health 2023 

 

• In 10 years, the pharmaceutical industry in Italy has reduced energy consumption by 44% 

• 88% of the operating companies expect to reduce the waste they produce in the next three to five years 

• 55% are already committed to reducing or eliminating use of plastic at every stage of the production process 

• since 1980 Italian companies have established a centralized system to guarantee the correct disposal of expired medicines

 

Italy being leader in Europe for its efficient use of resources in manufacturing processes and the rational use of natural resources, green purchasing, and a sustainable waste management program, the Italian Trade Agency expect an even more interesting and constructive business bilateral opportunities between Italian and UAE based counterparts on how to tackle the ecological transition and make healtcare a more sustanabile industry.