EP 157 - Fabrizio Conicella: Why Europe Keeps Losing the Next Breakthroughs in Medicine

Europe has the science. The talent. The breakthroughs.

But when an idea feels too uncertain, our systems shut it down before it has a chance to breathe.

And with every safe bet… we quietly lose the next cure, the next Car-T, the next AI that could change everything. 

🚨 Risk-aversion, fragmentation, and bureaucracy are draining Europe’s innovation power—and nobody dares to name it out loud.

But Fabrizio Conicella, VP of Open Innovation at Chiesi Group, isn’t holding back. 

💡 In this deep, urgent conversation, Fabrizio shares how Europe can build the ecosystems we need to turn bold ideas into real-world impact—without compromising ethics, patients, or long-term value. 

🎧 Watch now to explore:
1️⃣ Why uncertainty, not risk, is the true frontier of innovation
2️⃣ The hidden reasons startups leave Europe—and how to keep them
3️⃣ How Chiesi’s “The Impulse” model flips corporate R&D on its head
4️⃣ What every policymaker, CEO, and scientist must change before it’s too late
5️⃣ A bold new playbook for turning visionary science into trusted medicine 

👤 About Fabrizio Conicella:
As one of Europe’s leading voices in health innovation, Fabrizio is pioneering how pharma collaborates across startups, data, and ethics. His mission: create environments where the best ideas don’t get shut down—they get built. 

💬 Quotes That Might Just Change Your Thinking:
(01:58:01) "Be bold enough to dream, but pragmatic enough to make it real."
(01:07:22) "Science is essential, but turning it into a product requires a different kind of wisdom."
(01:04:35) "Visionary entrepreneurs see the future and change the game."
(00:16:51) "Innovation today is no longer a race for ownership, but a journey of collaboration."
(00:47:55) "If the idea is truly bold, no pharma company can replicate it without you." 

⏱️ Timestamps:
(03:00) Europe’s Innovation Crisis: A Wake-Up Call
(08:19) Chiesi’s Bold B Corp Strategy
(16:26) Building Healthcare Innovation Ecosystems
(22:09) Predictive Medicine and Patient Data
(29:49) Pharma vs. Startup Ecosystems Today
(34:38) Why R&D Must Go External
(35:06) The End of Buy-and-Wait Pharma
(41:42) Ethics First: Pharma’s New Mandate
(44:06) Respecting Founders, Not Just IP
(47:23) Debunking the 'Pharma Steals Ideas' Myth
(54:10) Why Pharma Moves Slowly—but Must Adapt
(59:25) Market Acumen: Startups’ Missing Ingredient
(01:04:35) What Makes a Visionary Entrepreneur
(01:29:22) Embracing Failure to Spark Innovation
(01:46:01) Europe’s Risk Culture is Holding Us Back 

🔔 Help Us Grow the Future of Thoughtful Innovation
If this conversation sparked something in you—an insight, a question, a sense of urgency—help us keep it alive.
Subscribe. Leave a comment. Share it with someone who still believes bold ideas deserve a fighting chance.
Every action brings in deeper minds, bigger questions, and the kind of leadership our systems so desperately need. 

Book mention: The Venture Mindset

🎧 Watch now—and join the movement to rebuild Europe’s innovation edge. 

Send us a text

Support the show

Join the Podcast Newsletter: Link