291305.P034-063.CRX:Excellence
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lthough the Italian biotech industry might still be small in comparison to those of other countries, such as Germany, the UK, or France, it can nonetheless claim significant ”quality of industry.” This ”quality” is the result of a dense fabric of small and medium-sized businesses that occupy small market niches that are unlikely to attract large enterprises. In many cases, they are high-risk, high-innovation spin-offs that emerged when larger industries decided to abandon avenues of research that were not directly related to their core business. They are highly flexible companies that are capable of entering the international market in specific production “niches.” In the field of plastics, for example, the Italian biotech industry has established important new milestones. Mater-Bi, the world’s first material to be completely biodegradable, is produced in Novamont Laboratories. It was founded in 1990 as a spin-off from Montedison Group and is located in Novara, Piedmont. This plastic material is exceptional
Biodegradable plastic: Novamont’s cups are produced using a corn-based compound
THE MATER-BI NICHE: 58
THE ITALIAN EDGE