Two days of discussion between academia, institutions, and businesses to redefine the precautionary principle as a driver of sustainable growth and competitiveness, balancing health protection and technological development.
Rome, 12 November 2025 – It opens today, atUniversità Campus Bio-Medico di Roma (PRABB Conference Hall, Via Alvaro del Portillo 21), the conference “The precautionary principle: rule of law or meta-legal principle?”, two days of work (12–13 November) dedicated to the evolution of a central principle in the relationship between health and innovation, especially in "sensitive" sectors such as pharmaceuticals and food. The initiative explores how to reconcile health protection, technological progress, and regulatory certainty for businesses, a crucial issue for innovation and competitiveness in production chains.
Promoted within the project PRIN PNRR “Integral WELLbeing for human flourishing: healthcare and food from an ethical and legal perspective (I-WELL)”, of which Prof. is Principal Investigator. Francesco Bruno, the conference also represents the national meeting of theAIDA., Italian Association of Food Law, with the participation of theGeorgofili Academy Central West Section and'University of Pisa.
On the table, a wide-ranging discussion will bring together academics, institutional representatives, and businesses to analyze the legal and economic implications of a principle that has become crucial to innovation processes, especially in "sensitive" areas such as pharmaceuticals and food.
In his opening speech, the Magnificent Rector, prof. Rocco Papalia, he underlined how «the precautionary principle, when well founded on evidence and proportionality, is not a constraint but a lever of responsible innovationIt is in the balance between scientific prudence and entrepreneurial freedom that the true sustainability of progress is measured today.».
A vision that reflects the mission of the Campus Bio-Medico University: to foster the intersection of research, education, and industry for growth that combines economic development, healthcare, and ethical responsibility.
Among the protagonists, Daniele Melis, Commander of the Carabinieri for Agri-food Protection; Gianfrancesco Romeo, the General Director of Consumers and Market of the Ministry of Business and Made in Italy; Isis Cesarini, General manager Mase Coruc; is Antonio Gullo, Vice-Rector for Teaching with responsibility for three-year and single-cycle master's degrees and for the coordination of post-graduate studies at the Luiss Guido Carli.
«This is where food chemistry, risk assessment and governance meet: a dialogue thatUniversità Campus Bio-Medico di Roma promotes to translate science into good rules", has explained Chiara Fanali, Dean of the Faculty of Science and Technology for Sustainable Development and One Health.
Leading the scientific debate, the teacher. Francesco Bruno, professor of environmental and food law and project IP I-WELL, which highlights:
«The precautionary principle is not an excuse, but a legal method that integrates science, ethics, and economics. A well-calibrated precautionary approach allows agri-food and healthcare supply chains to innovate responsibly, offering public decision-makers verifiable criteria and businesses regulatory certainty.».
The conference confirms the role of theUniversità Campus Bio-Medico di Roma as a national hub of thought and a platform for dialogue between research, industry, and policymaking, at a time when regulatory sustainability and risk management represent crucial challenges for the competitiveness of the country's economic system.
To consult the complete program click here.
