Angelini Industries
Innovation
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Written by ESG News
What it is
Innovation is the continuous process that transforms an idea or invention into new products or a new way of doing things. Innovation therefore represents the way in which an organization converts knowledge, research, and creativity into concrete value. It does not only concern new goods or technologies, but also organizational models, processes, services, and ways of relating to stakeholders. It is through innovation that a company evolves, interprets change, and manages to respond to, or anticipate, emerging needs, using available resources more effectively.
Innovation is therefore a fundamental lever of resilience and competitiveness. It enables companies to address the risks and seize the opportunities associated with major ecological, digital, and demographic transitions, strengthening their ability to adapt in complex and rapidly changing contexts. When guided by a responsible vision, innovation contributes to economic growth while generating lasting benefits for society and local communities . Innovative capacity can reside within a company, both in terms of its ability to cultivate a culture that fosters the development of new models and through investment in research and development, but it can also leverage the ability to draw on external knowledge through open innovation models and dialogue with universities and start-ups.
To deliver long-term results, however, innovation cannot be left to chance. It requires intentionality, continuous investment, and a structured approach. Organizational culture plays a decisive role: fostering experimentation, continuous learning, knowledge sharing, and the ability to question established practices is essential to turn ideas into real, scalable solutions.
Did you know?
According to the OECD Science, Technology and Innovation Outlook 2025, private companies now fund around 70% of total R&D expenditure, a share that has increased steadily over the past two decades (https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/oecd-science-technology-and-innovation-outlook-2025_5fe57b90-en.html), while public investment in research and development (R&D) is showing signs of slowing down.
In light of these trends, the OECD highlights how the ability to mobilize private capital has become central to sustaining innovation, especially in major transitions that require continuous and long-term investment. In this context, public policies are increasingly focused on activating the role of businesses through incentives, partnerships, and instruments that encourage public-private collaboration.
At the European level, this approach is reflected in the Horizon Europe program, which, with a total budget of €95.5 billion for the 2021–2027 period, supports research and innovation on the Union's strategic priorities (https://horizoneurope.apre.it/). Initiatives such as the European Innovation Council (https://eic.ec.europa.eu/index_en) and InvestEU also help to reduce investment risk and facilitate the entry of private capital in the most critical stages, from experimentation through to scaling up.
Innovation for Angelini Industries
Together with "Ethics and Responsibility," "Performance," and "Engagement," "Innovation" is one of the founding values of Angelini Industries and an enabler of the ESG Plan, that is, an enabling and accelerating factor in the implementation of the Group's strategy.
Innovation has always been a key driver in the Group's success and is developed across all operating companies, taking on different characteristics and focus areas depending on the specific features of each business.
For Angelini Pharma, innovation means a constant commitment to research and development of products and healthcare solutions to improve people's lives; in recent years, the focus has been on the areas of Brain Health, Specialty & Primary Care, and Consumer Health. In the healthcare business, innovation comes not only through R&D, but also through investments in highly innovative startups in the biotech and digital health sectors with Angelini Ventures, a venture capital fund with €300 million in assets. In the industrial technology sector, Angelini Technologies-Fameccanica is recognized as one of the most innovative companies in Italy, with over 1,200 patents and patent applications to its credit, corresponding to more than 250 distinct inventions . In the consumer goods business, innovation is particularly evident at the product level. In fact, in the wine sector, Angelini Wines & Estates implements precision viticulture, a pillar of agriculture 4.0, and has developed several innovative solutions such as "Wine Quality Monitoring." Finally, Fater, a equal joint venture with P&G, through its Business Campus housing 2,500 m² of laboratories, equipped areas, and pilot plants, places innovation at the center of business growth. At the same time, it uses product innovation to advance ambitious decarbonization objectives.
The results pursued and achieved over the years have been recognized in the "Leader of Innovation" ranking, compiled by Il Corriere della Sera and Statista, which celebrates Italian companies distinguished by their innovative capabilities. Among them is Angelini Industries, which received the recognition for two consecutive years, in the 2025 and 2026 editions.
