“I want a crazy world, I am always looking to the future and I have plans until 2088!”
These are the words Marino Golinelli, entrepreneur, philanthropist and collector, said on his 100th birthday. And although he won’t be here in 2088, when his foundation will be one hundred years old, his memory will undoubtedly be more alive than ever in the legacy he leaves to the Italian business and beyond.
The son of farmers who graduated in chemistry at the age of 23, Marino Golinelli founded ALFA in 1948, which over the years became Alfasigma (now headed by his son Stefano), starting with a small shop and only one employee to sell his first vitamin syrup, Sitacoidin.
A multinational pharmaceutical company
Today, the company is a Made-in-Italy multinational pharmaceutical company with a billion-dollar turnover and 2,800 employees at its two sites in Bologna and Pomezia, while the foundation bearing Marino’s surname was established in 1988 to promote education and training, disseminate scientific culture, and foster young people’s intellectual, responsible and ethical growth.
In 2018, the Foundation launched G-Factor, a new Incubator-Accelerator aimed at emerging companies. “Life is about being smart and making things happen,” said Marino, who never hesitated to put his own words into practice.
