The exhibition ‘The Italy of Patents: Successful Inventions and Innovations’, organised by the Italian Ministry of Enterprise and Made in Italy (MIMIT), to celebrate both the 140th anniversary of the founding of the Italian Patent and Trademark Office and the 550th anniversary of the publication of the first Patent Statute, promulgated by the Republic of Venice in 1474, was inaugurated at Palazzo Piacentini in Rome.

The aim of the exhibition is to recount the past and present through the impact of over 100 industrial invention patents on Italian society and in the international context. It compares different generations of innovators: early inventors who filed patents individually versus today's multidisciplinary teams working within universities, research centres, and start-ups.

These include Studium Genetics' international patent SG-OCRA™ (Oral Carcinoma Risk Algorithm) for the early detection of patients at risk of developing oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and its precursor, severe dysplasia, by quantitative DNA methylation analysis. A unique technology that contributes to representing the excellence of Made in Italy.

At the exhibition, visitors will find original materials extracted from the patent files of the State Archives and the Ministry, as well as from the current patent management systems of the Italian Patent and Trademark Office. These include photographic and multimedia documents, products and prototypes. Unique pieces through which MIMIT wants to highlight the variety of Italian inventive activity and the complexity of technological innovation processes across various productive sectors in the territory. The exhibition showcases an industrial, design, and material heritage of immense value to the country, comprising stories of successful inventors who have transformed daily life.

The exhibition is open to the public on weekends from 23 November 2024 until March 2025 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Ministry headquarters (Palazzo Piacentini, Via Veneto 33 - Rome), with last admission at 6.30 p.m.