On December 19, 2024, the IRCCS Istituto Europeo di Oncologia (IEO) hosted Innovation Day 2024, an event organized to celebrate 30 years of research, progress and commitment to improving health and well-being.
The scientific leader of the day was Dr. Marzia Fumagalli, Head of IEO-TT, the IEO's Technology Transfer Office, who moderated the proceedings with the participation of industry experts, researchers and innovators who discussed current challenges, new opportunities and emerging technologies that are shaping the future of medicine in oncology, from digital solutions to personalization of care.
The day started with an institutional greeting by Eng. Mauro Melis, CEO of the IEO, followed by welcoming speeches from the Scientific Director, Prof. Roberto Orecchia, and the Director of the Department of Experimental Oncology, Prof. Pier Giuseppe Pelicci, who emphasized that innovation is the indispensable engine for our future.
Francesco Cerruti, Director General of the Italian Tech Alliance, opened the event with a confident and positive outlook for the coming years and spoke about the challenges and opportunities of innovation in Italy.
Two panel discussions then enlivened the debate. The first, moderated by Prof. Saverio Minucci, Director of a research unit at the IEO, explored the synergies between industry and research institutions to foster clinical innovation. Participants included Prof. Giuseppe Curigliano, Director of the Department of New Drug Development for Innovative Therapies, Eng. Annarosa Farina, Director of Information Systems at IEO, Prof. Nicola Fusco, Director of Pathological Anatomy at IEO, Dr. Holger Neecke, CEO of Tethis SpA, and Dr. Marcella Origgi, Early Innovation Partner - Italy at Johnson & Johnson.
The second panel discussion, moderated by Dr. Marzia Fumagalli, focused on entrepreneurship and the creation of start-ups in the life sciences, with contributions from Dr. Fabio Bianco, Scientific Director of Bio4Dreams, Prof. Roberto Chiarle, Director of the Department of Hemolymphopathology Diagnostics at the IEO, Dr. Federica Draghi, Founder and Managing Partner of XGEN Venture SGR, Prof. Saverio Minucci and Dr. Alessandro Tozzi, Founder and Managing Partner of Endostart Srl.
A moment of great interest was the contribution of Prof. Ennio Tasciotti, Director of the Human Longevity Program at IRCCS San Raffaele in Rome, who highlighted how mistakes can be an important source of inspiration for innovation, provoking stimulating insights among the participants.
The day ended with a session, moderated by Dr. Claudia Iavarone, Senior Specialist at IEO-TT, of business pitch presentations of some innovative projects developed at IEO. Speakers included Prof. Salvatore Pece, Dr. Lucilla Titta, Dr. Gioacchino Natoli, Prof. Pier Paolo Di Fiore and Dr. Luigi Nezi.
An innovative touch even during networking moments thanks to our SmartFood IEO team.
At the end of the event, participants exchanged good wishes and reaffirmed their shared commitment to a future increasingly focused on innovation and progress in healthcare.