Innovation and sustainability from basic research to technology transfer – NanoCosPha: connecting academy to industry

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INTRODUCTION
Currently, we are facing a turning point in the meaning of health: instead of being intended as the absence of pathologies, the concept of health has been extended to the overall well-being of the person. For instance, 71% of European consumers consider personal care and cosmetic products important or very important in improving their quality of life, and use nearly 13 different cosmetics weekly, according to the 2022 European Consumer Perception Study. (1) Indeed, a new awareness is increasing both in citizens and in the industry sector and this is a trend that pharmaceuticals and cosmetics have grasped. Lombardy is the region in Italy with the highest density of cosmetic companies: here in fact, more than half of the cosmetic companies present in the national territory are concentrated (55.1%). Overall, in 2021 the total turnover of the Lombardy cosmetics sector represented more than two-thirds of the national amount. (2) These facts highlight the potentiality of the wellness sector, in terms of innovation, competitiveness and economic value. However, innovation is founded on research and academia could serve as a breeding ground. Compared to the overall Italian expenditure, Lombardy – where 17% of the population resides – contributes the 20% of investment and development of research and produces 23% of the most cited scientific publications. But that’s not all: it records 31% of the patents filed in Europe. However, its performance is still far from the European competitors, being not able to fill the gap between academic research and technological transfer. A clear example of this is the amount of Lombard patents that are 155 per million inhabitants, just 1/4 those of Bayern and 1/3 those of Baden-Württemberg from Germany.
The synergy between the companies and the research centres, operating in the area, has the potential to offer a new impetus to this development. NanoCosPha takes shape to create the link between academic research and industry, smoothing the process of cosmetic and pharmaceutical products development, testing and commercialization. Innovation and sustainability are the claims of the integrated laboratories developed within this platform.