ویژگی های صنعت بیوتکنولوژی ایتالیایی و مدل های کسب و کار جدید : نتایج اولیه یک مطالعه تجربی

This study focuses on the Italian biotechnology industry, with particular reference to the way in which innovation is generated and managed in Italian biotechnology companies. A preliminary analysis of the literature regarding this topic resulted in two significant findings: the empirical data on biotechnology companies is limited and incomplete and the definition of these companies is ambiguous. Therefore, the first objective of the study was to precisely define biotechnology companies. Once this was done, a survey was carried out using postal questionnaires in order to make a profile of the industry based on the data gathered from the questionnaires that 100 companies completed. This information was then used to make initial hypotheses regarding the business models adopted by the companies in the industry. More precisely, five business models were identified, whose validity will be analyzed by case studies as a part of the continuation of this research.

Biotechnologies are one of the most important emerging technologies due to the numerous possible applications they have, many of which are yet to be explored, and for the pervasiveness that characterizes them. The knowledge and competencies of many different scientific fields come together in biotechnologies and consequently the applications that can be derived from them can be used in many different fields. Therefore, biotechnologies are one of the most important ‘engines’ of growth for knowledge-based industries. The aim of this study was to analyze biotechnology companies which, in addition to having the unique characteristic of being high tech and science-based companies, are characterized by a significant evolution in company organization and management. In order to carry out a study of this nature, an empirical database containing data regarding the situation of biotechnology companies in Italy was needed to serve as a starting point for analyzing this type of company. An analysis of the literature regarding this topic made it possible to conclude that the data available is quite limited, e.g. there is not even a catalogue of biotechnology companies in Italy, and, what data does exist is quite ambiguous since in the studies thus far carried out, the definitions of biotechnology companies used appear to be extremely vague and varied. Therefore, the specific objectives of this study were to: – take a census of biotechnology companies in Italy, after having defined them as companies which are innovative and carry out research and development, or at least industrial development; – describe the organization of these companies, with particular reference to their innovative processes; – identify the business models adopted by these companies with the aim of continuing this research with a case study of these models. The method chosen for the study included: – an analysis of the international literature, with particular attention given to previous empirical research studies aimed at characterizing biotechnology companies; – a postal questionnaire survey was used to gather and process data regarding 100 companies in the industry in Italy; – a comparison between the results found in the literature and the results obtained from this study.

The work presented in this paper took into consideration innovative Italian biotechnology companies, i.e. companies located in Italy that use biotechnologies (both traditional and new) to obtain new products, production processes or services or to improve existing ones. The first result of the study was the definition of innovative biotechnology company since the empirical analyses in the literature often seem to be lacking this fundamental aspect. The second result was the surveying of the firms that fit this definition which, with a small margin of error, can be said to number 100. This empirical analysis made it possible to describe the profile of these firms, with particular reference to their geographical location, size, industry, type of biotechnology used and type of innovative activities carried out. This analysis is an indispensable knowledge base for a more thorough study of biotechnology companies in the future. Finally, by analyzing the profiles of the companies surveyed, we were able to hypothesize that they can be classified according to the predominant business model they use. The business models were identified by considering the stage of innovation their activities are involved in, the type of product or service exchanged on the market and the predominant competitive factors. The five emergent business models identified are: NBFs, integrated companies involved in the process from research to commercialization, integrated companies which sell products to other companies, manufacturing companies (which carry out the final stages of innovation, from industrial development to production and commercialization) and services companies. A case study, currently under way, is exploring and verifying the results regarding the emergent business models.