Francesca Veronesi: "A Foundation 'with a father's heart'"

In the sixtieth anniversary of the Mirandola biomedical, Mario's heiress shares the memories of a brilliant entrepreneur and plans an innovative future

The biomedical district of Mirandola is sixty years old, but doesn't want to know how to look at retirement. He doesn't show them and he didn't need a facelift or treatment to get to us in splendid shape. Indeed, it is a point of reference for healthcare and for the health of "others", in Italy as well as in the rest of the world. Between the beating of the 2012 earthquake and the acceleration due to the COVID-19 pandemic of the 2020-2022 period, it is constantly adapted to the circumstances of the so-called "here and now" that history undertakes to present, but also full of expectations for the near and distant future.
It is considered the most important in the sector in Europe and the third in the world, after that of Minneapolis and Los Angeles in the United States of America: for this reason, the Bassa Modenese area is called the "Italian Silicon Valley of the biomedical industry". ”, even if the genius who gave birth to this exceptional supply chain always regretted a knowledge of the English language that was not up to his own, intimate desires.

The audience of the Tent of Memory listen carefully to the "magic" of stem cells. Now “The biomedical district: the #memory of the future". pic.twitter.com/Fu1NEMJe8O

— memoriafest (@memoriafest) June 9, 2018

The district was born in the Sixties, particularly in 1962, thanks to the initiative of Mario Veronesi, a pharmacist who understood the potential of the market for disposable products for medical use. In his small assembly shop (Miraset, with just three employees), he studied and developed a new prototype of artificial kidney in collaboration with the University of Padua, one of the most sophisticated of the few that were produced at the time. From that distant initiative, an industrial cluster has sprung up which has over 220 companies for about 4.500 employees, and welcomes important multinational groups and large and small Italian companies. The close ties with the territory, the relationships along the supply chain, the high internationalization and the high rate of innovation are the factors that distinguish it and determine its success. Francesca Veronesi, Mario's only heir together with her sister Cecilia, is the ideal figure not only to share with the reader the memories of the evolution of the Mirandola biomedical district and of her father Mario, but also to listen to the ambitions of the Maverx Foundation which she founded to support the local business ecosystem.

Single location and the BIOS+ brand for the IRB, IOR and EOC institutes

This year exactly sixty years have passed since the foundation of Miraset, a company which essentially kicked off the birth of the Mirandolese biomedical district in 1962, on the initiative of Mario Veronesi. Is there a family or emotional assessment that a daughter can make of such an anniversary and what sensations does an anniversary so full of symbolic meanings convey to her?
“In 1962 both my sister Cecilia and I weren't born yet… and now there are only the two of us left in the Veronesi family. Of the memories transmitted by family stories, I remember the garage at home, later transformed into a tavern, where the father had set up the first Miraset production: a 'garage startup' to all intents and purposes! I'm borrowing a memory that his friend and entrepreneur Gianni Bellini shared at his father's funeral: 'Galeotto was that meeting in September 1962. It's a phrase that doesn't suit the occasion, but it's the only one I've found for remember that moment that changed my life or, rather, that directed it. I was an absolutely 'non-model' student and from that precise moment my life with Mario Veronesi, first as a friend, then as a collaborator, then as a partner, turned my life upside down. So, September 1962: Mario in via Zamboni, in front of the University of Bologna, was looking for an interpreter for one of his first trips to Europe to carry out a market survey; it didn't seem real to me and I proposed, together with my friend Giorgio Goldoni, to accompany him. In fifteen days we wrote the first chapter of what was to be the novel of our lives.' From there begins the story of the biomedical sector of Mirandola, which I invite you to read in the excellent research carried out by Gianni Lorenzoni, Simone Ferriani and Mark Lazerson of the University of Bologna: an analysis lasting twenty years that he studied methodically and through many interviews with entrepreneurs the birth of an industrial phenomenon starting from what is defined as an 'anchor entrepreneur', i.e. an agent capable of triggering a virtuous mechanism, of creating industrial production from scratch and of positively contaminating an entire territory through the creation of new knowledge and skills. The researchers also produced a beautiful video that tells the history of the district and the genealogy of biomedical companies in an animated version. I only learned this much later, growing up. For me as a child, Mario Veronesi was above all a very busy dad, who however always found time to play with me, take me on vacation and, since I was the little one in the house, I was also pampered by all the family friends, who had grown up now."

Video, the "varnish" of the headquarters of the EOC, IOR and IRB institutes

Today she lives in London, in a reality in many ways antithetical to little Mirandola, even if we owe it to Thomas More, Lord Chancellor of King Henry VIII, one of the first biographies in 1504 of the philosopher Giovanni Pico. What brought you to the British capital, how do you live there on a daily basis and what do you do in the City? Is there anything England has taught you? And what could be effectively transferred to the Lower Modena area from the land of the Anglos and Saxons?
“I lived in Australia for many years, where my son was born and where every year my parents came to 'overwinter' for a few weeks, escaping the northern hemisphere winter. Together we have visited the Australian continent and also made beautiful trips to Asia. Unfortunately, after the 2012 Emilia earthquake that semi-destroyed Mirandola, the father fell ill and began dialysis, so it was no longer possible for him to travel. My husband and I decided shortly after to return closer to families, but always remain connected to our new culture of adoption, and hence the choice of London. I've always been fascinated by this city's ability to reinvent itself and its constant dynamism, its characteristic, unique among European capitals, of being a multicultural metropolis where different communities can maintain a strong link with their own culture of origin and at the same time feel an integral part of the social, economic, political and cultural life of the country. It is an integration that comes from a long journey made up of social struggles and achievements, which has passed through discrimination, inequality, segregation and long battles for civil rights and which finds in education and the school system the social glue for foster coexistence and the sharing of common values. Here in London I deal with investments in the real estate sector”.

Photogallery, the inauguration of the "Belli" research center

Can you tell us something more about the Maverx Foundation? What institutional mission does it have and how does it interact with the biomedical district of Mirandola and with its public and private players?
“Maverx was born as a socio-cultural project, with the intention of becoming a catalyst of opportunities for the biomedical district and a collector or aggregator for the many companies present in the area. Indeed, in the area of ​​Mirandola there was a lack of a non-profit and super partes organization capable of connecting the dots between industry, made up of local companies, small, medium-sized and multinationals, with research and universities, new entrepreneurship, public bodies and regional and national infrastructures to support innovation. All these subjects have different agendas and modus operandi, but also converging goals, and could derive many advantages from a structured collaboration. Maverx wants to be a foundation for the territory, not a family foundation, but a subject that takes charge of a strong legacy and carries it forward in a contemporary way by acting on three fundamental guidelines: formation, attraction and development of new enterprise, support for the innovation of small and medium-sized enterprises present in the area”.

The key innovation of the biomedical district of Mirandola

What are your relationships with the entrepreneur Alberto Nicolini and with the researcher Matteo Stefanini, who respectively launched the portals teatrobiomedicale.it and biomedicalvalley.com to implement communication activities from the territory to the outside and within the cluster itself? Can you imagine collaborations or synergies? Do you follow its contents and activities?
“I respect both of them very much for the contribution they make to the local area. Alberto Nicolini, through the districtbiomedicale.it portal, collects and conveys useful information for companies and is the first entry point for those interested in learning about the district. Matteo had a great vision in bringing TEDx to Mirandola, an ambitious project that highlights the concept of 'life' in its many meanings and the role of the 'biomedical valley' as a place where solutions to support life are designed and implemented and people's health. Stefanini fueled the project with great enthusiasm, also managing to involve local companies in the biomedicalvalley.com platform, which promotes the sharing and exchange of local companies of excellence on innovative and research projects. We work with both on several fronts. We involved Alberto Nicolini in the 'Hack for Med Mirandola' hackathon, created with Medtronic and the 'Mario Veronesi' Technopole within the Medtronic Open Innovation Lab initiative, to launch the call for local companies to present new projects and, or , to find collaboration opportunities with 'Hack For Med' startups. We also share a goal which is to bring Mirandola onto the map of Italian industrial districts. It seems incredible, yet the biomedical district is not included in the Intesa San Paolo Observatory on Industrial Districts. The mapping of what exists both from a quantitative and qualitative point of view is fundamental for putting in place useful actions by both public and private subjects to enhance the territory".

In Switzerland "open" platform for medical 3D printing

What strictly "biomedical" memory do you have of a giant entrepreneur like your father? Can you tell us an anecdote or episode indicative of his personality that has never been told before and that is close to your heart?
“Dad hardly ever talked about work at home. However, I do have an amusing memory related to a family trip to Japan at the invitation of the president of a Japanese medtech group with which he had collaborated for years. Our host had organized a magnificent tour of the hot springs, with overnight stays in traditional ryokans. The emperor of Japan had even stayed in one of these and our host had managed to secure the very same room to accommodate his father and mother. When he was shown the room, my father without any embarrassment asked candidly where the bed was: the Japanese futons are rolled out and spread out on the floor only in the evening after dinner. After many embarrassed smiles in what I remember as our version of 'lost in translation', our host resigned himself to taking the imperial chamber and leaving the western one to my parents, who were delighted. This is to give an insight into my father's no-nonsense personality and also his down-to-earth, no-nonsense nature. He had traveled the world, but he had kept his habits and always said that he would never spend more than two weeks away from home, from his country to which he was very close ”.

Video, here is the 3D medical printing of the "Swiss m4m Center"

If you would like to report Mario Veronesi's words or feelings ex post, what were his greatest successes and most disarming regrets? What would he have done all over again without hesitation and what "mistake" would he have never wanted to repeat? And why?
“As I said, dad didn't talk much about his job... He had studied French at school, which he spoke with great nonchalance, so much so that if you listened carefully you could hear a Mirandolese dialect interspersed that didn't seem to prevent him from conversing quickly with colleagues and native speakers. His lack of familiarity with English was instead his greatest worry. He was able to make himself understood, but it was difficult for him to follow a more informal conversation and he said that this caused many barriers in his professional life and that he would have dreamed of entering the Chinese market, but that he hadn't had the chance. The successes of his former collaborators made him very happy. I remember the pride with which he referred to the new industrial projects of entrepreneurs who had started their careers with him, such as Lucio Gibertoni of Redax and Giordano Azzolini of Sidam. I remember the great joy of learning that the Medtronic group had acquired Bellco after years of uncertainty and that the multinational Fresenius would have rebuilt the factories in Mirandola after the earthquake with new expanded production spaces”.

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What projects is the Maverx Foundation in the works and in which concrete activities will its payroll, "Open innovation platform connecting research, startups, organizations, investors in the healthcare industry worldwide" be declined in the medium and long term? connecting healthcare research, startups, organizations and investors from around the world”? Certainly, these are ambitious and courageous resolutions…
“We have partnered with Medtronic Italia, which has created a CSR project for our country: 'Medtronic Open Innovation Lab', which serves to promote innovation and growth in the healthcare sector. This platform supports and connects biomedical hubs of recognized excellence, in order to create an open and widespread laboratory in which skills, talent and ingenuity can form a system, generating exponential value for the community. The biomedical district of Mirandola is part of this value network together with the Salento Biomedical District, the campus of San Giovanni a Teduccio with the Federico II University of Naples, the Biomedical Campus of Rome. Within this ambitious initiative many projects have been implemented, including the hackthon tour 'Hack For Med', and an advanced training course, called 'Make Mirandola', which Medtronic has declined for the first time in an inter-company version , opening it to people from the various SME companies of the Mirandola district and neighboring provinces that operate in the medtech, pharmaceutical, biotech, cosmetic sectors and related supply chains, and to former students of the Mirandola Biomedical ITS. We will continue our collaboration with the 'Medtronic Open Innovation Lab' poles, also by bringing local universities closer to local companies to ensure that doctorates and research projects can find industrial partners in the Bassa Modenese area. We have also created Maverx Academy: it is a school of innovation that offers professionals, entrepreneurs, companies and investors who develop and support innovative solutions along the convergence line between healthcare and technology, opportunities to increase their value and create a positive social impact. The Academy carries out seminars at universities, accelerators, incubators, other foundations and subjects involved in open innovation on three main topics: promotion of entrepreneurial culture and innovation management, integration of enabling technologies, social impact investment for the healthcare sector ”.

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What is the perception abroad of the Mirandola biomedical district? Is it yet another example of "Nemo propheta in patria", in the Latin sense of the term, or do you think that this cluster is already correctly valued in Italy?
“I always say that the district represents 'Italy best kept secret' as it is relatively unknown abroad, unlike other districts such as the motor valley or the food valley which are always found in our region. For this reason it is important that the Foundation continues to advocate and to tell the excellence that exists in the area through the many success stories of innovative companies and passionate entrepreneurs, as we have already done through social channels so that young people are inspired by these stories and positively infected to start business paths in an area that offers many opportunities being facilitated both by the concentration of resources and skills and by the presence of infrastructures that support those who have a project to carry it out. With the intention of 'Hack for Med' we have told the good success stories of some local companies such as Qura, Erydel, G-21 and Sidam”.

Video, the Bologna Technopole illustrated by Stefano Accorsi

What do you think of the “Mario Veronesi Technopole” in Mirandola? What needs to be done to take full advantage of it and what direction should this infrastructure take, whose website opens with an essential and persuasive aphorism from his father: "The entrepreneur seeks change, exploits it as an opportunity"?
“The Tecnopolo represents a great resource for the area: it is a research center applied to the biomedical sector which offers services to local companies and also develops its own research and development projects, being affiliated to the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia. The future incubator, which will be housed in the new spaces of the structure, will offer great opportunities to attract new businesses to Mirandola, above all if it is possible to create synergies and strategic collaborations with other incubators, accelerators and research centers at national and international level to develop specific solutions for the sector they can find in Mirandola a 'fast track' to the realization. We need to make researchers, scientists, technologists and investors aware of the unique opportunities that exist in our area, also because they are not found elsewhere".

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If Francesca Veronesi had an unlimited amount of money or absolute power over reality, what single action would she take for the well-being of Mirandola and its industrial and social fabric?
“Not a single action, but a set of synergistic actions involving the public and the private sector. It is necessary to attract young talents to Mirandola: for this reason the city must be made a desirable place to live. I am thinking of a Campus affiliated to the university, within the new spaces of the Biomedical Village of Mirandola, to host residences for researchers from Italy and abroad together with the incubator and a clinical center where new solutions are implemented for treatment and assistance. I am thinking of creating an ecosystem that improves people's quality of life and work through shared laboratories, spaces for interactive teaching, a maker lab open to school students of all ages, coworking spaces for biotechnologists, specific infrastructures and services for the type of projects that can only find here, in the 'biomedical valley', opportunities to grow and be valued. I am thinking of a campus where people learn, create, share ideas and where companies from all over Italy and abroad can find talent and resources to give life to new projects. All based on the H-Farm model, but conceived from a strategic point of view of collaboration between the public and private sectors. We also need to improve the livability of the area. Indeed, it is paradoxical that a place where life-saving solutions are produced is sadly at the top of the rankings of the most polluted areas in Italy. The new green transformation imposes a new way of thinking in terms of global health: for people and for the environment, because there really can't be the former without the latter. My dream is for Mirandola to ride this wave and to use the ingenuity, inventiveness and resources of its territory to integrate the principles of the green economy not only in industrial production, but in its environment and in people's daily lives".

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