A story of innovation and research born in Milan in 1899 with the opening of the first commercial branch of Bayer: the German giant, divided into the areas of Pharmaceuticals, Consumer Health and Crop Science, has celebrated 125 years in Italy. The event was celebrated with the issue of a commemorative stamp issued by the Ministry of Business and Made in Italy and with a special event organized today with voices from the institutional, scientific and industrial world to tell how health, agriculture and innovation are preparing to face the challenges of tomorrow.

“We thank the Ministry of Business and Made in Italy for this important recognition that testifies to the contribution of excellence that our company and our people have been able to offer to the progress and growth of the country,” said Monica Poggio, CEO of Bayer SpA. “Celebrating 125 years of presence in Italy means paying homage to the value of the Life Science industry, a strategic sector in which our country continues to stand out globally thanks to the commitment, passion and expertise of those who work with us every day. The issuance of this stamp represents a further opportunity to reaffirm our desire to be an active and responsible partner in the development of the future and in the sustainable growth of the country system,” concluded Poggio.

In addition to the CEO of Bayer, and greetings from the German Consul General in Milan, Susanne Welter , the conference, divided into various talks, saw the interventions of Emanuele Monti , President of the Welfare Commission of the Lombardy Region and Executive Board Member of Aifa, of Angelica Iacovelli , Founder and CEO of Nucleo Research, of the Bayer managers Arianna Gregis (Country Head Pharmaceuticals) and Mariarosaria Colazzo (Head Sale Consumer Health). And again, of the president of Copa Cogeca Massimiliano Giansanti , of the journalist and popularizer Antonio Pascale , of Patrick Gerlich , Country Head Crop Science Bayer Italia and, finally, of the President of Bayer Pharmaceuticals Stefan Oerlich .

To conclude the morning, the official philatelic cancellation ceremony of the stamp dedicated to Bayer led by Poste Italiane and chaired by Alessia Cappello , Councilor for Economic Development and Labor Policies of the Municipality of Milan.

The stamp, printed by the Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato SpA in 225 thousand copies, belongs to the thematic series “The Excellence of the Production System and Made in Italy” dedicated to the pharmaceutical sector: a series that celebrates the entrepreneurial capacity reserved for companies that, like Bayer, have brought innovation and value to the Italian economic and social fabric.

The first commercial branch opened in 1899. After the Second World War, in 1946, the Garbagnate Milanese plant was inaugurated, followed by the important sites in Latina and the research center in Bologna. Today, Bayer Italia, with 1,200 employees, achieved a turnover of 1 billion euros in Italy in 2024.