Revitalising European competitiveness through the pharmaceutical sector

Name: Revitalising European competitiveness through the pharmaceutical sector
Start: 2025-09-18T00:00:00+02:00
End: 2025-09-18T23:59:59+02:00

Rome, 18 September 2025

Virtual Event

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The Competitiveness Compass presented by the EU Commission recognises the pharmaceutical sector’s leading role in boosting European competitiveness. There is, on the one hand, the direct effect of the value produced by the sector, and on the other hand, the indirect effect of the impact that protecting the health and well-being of citizens has on the production system. What actions are needed to ensure the sector’s autonomy, ability to innovate, readiness for crises and emergencies?
High-ranking representatives of national and European institutions will confront authoritative representatives of the pharmaceutical industry to answer the question.

Connact Pharma is organised in cooperation with the European Parliament.
The event enjoys the highest institutional patronage and will be an opportunity for meeting and dialogue on policies for the pharmaceutical sector.

Among the founding promoters of the Connact platform are Chiesi and Menarini.

Programme

Time	Pharma 2025
9:45 am	Accreditation and welcome coffee
10:45 am	Welcome speech Carlo Corazza Director of the European Parliament Liaison Office in Italy
10:55 am	Keynote speech Olivér Várhelyi EU Commissioner for Animal Health and Welfare
11:00 am	Interview Tommaso Foti Minister for European Affairs, NRRP and Cohesion Policies
11:30 am	Competitiveness and innovation: EU industrial policies and the pharmaceutical sector From the Critical Medicines Act to the Life Science Strategy, via the Biotech Act and measures to support industrial competitiveness, research and innovation, the initiatives in the field and those announced by the EU Commission will be crucial for the pharmaceutical sector. What does the industry need in order to achieve its goals and make its contribution in terms of increasing European competitiveness? Interventi dei promotori Fabrizio Conicella Chiesi Group, VP and Head of Open Innovation and Competence Center Piero Rijli Menarini Group, Corporate Director Regulatory Affairs & Market Access Interventi istituzionali Michele Picaro MEP, member SANT, ENVI, BUDG Francesco Mennini Ministry of Health, Head of the Department for Planning, Medical Devices, Medicines Rainer Becker EU Commission, Director SANTE-D Conduce Tiziana Di Simone Rai Radio 1, Journalist and Host of Caffè Europa
12:30 pm	The European pharmaceutical industry in the new global context The European pharmaceutical sector is one of the main targets of the aggressive US trade policy. In their strategic dialogue with the EU Commission, the industry leaders denounced the risk that, due to the Trump administration's tariffs, pharmaceutical research, development, and production activities would be increasingly drawn to the US. To curb this risk, industry players are calling for all available instruments to be used: from tax levers to pricing policies, from public procurement rules to intellectual property protection rules, from environmental regulations to chemical regulations. What response will the European institutions devise to preserve and foster the strategic autonomy of the EU pharmaceutical industry, and thus ensure that EU citizens have adequate access to the most innovative and effective medicines and treatments? Interventi dei promotori Emanuele Degortes Menarini Group, Global Head of Access Policy, Patient Advocacy & Engagement Paolo Saccò Chiesi Group, Senior Director Global Public Affairs Interventi istituzionali Ugo Cappellacci MP, Chair of Social Affairs Committee Raffaele Topo MEP, member EMPL, REGI, BUDG, ENVI, SANT Marco Mattei Ministry of Health, Head of Cabinet to Minister Orazio Schillaci Claudia Biffoli Ministry of Enterprise and Made in Italy, Head of Biotechnology and Pharmaceuticals Division Pietro Erba EU Commission, Policy officer DG SANTE Conduce Lorenzo Robustelli Director of Eunews
1:30 pm	Reserved networking light lunch