CLONIT SRL

Their core work

Clonit is a Milan-based diagnostics SME specializing in the development and manufacture of molecular diagnostic tests for infectious diseases. Their H2020 participation reveals two distinct but complementary capabilities: rapid point-of-care diagnostics for outbreak pathogens (Ebola), and fast susceptibility testing for bacterial infections relevant to the antibiotic resistance crisis. As an IMI2 participant, they bring practical test-development and manufacturing know-how into large public-private research consortia — the kind of industrial partner that moves a laboratory assay toward a deployable clinical product. Their work sits at the intersection of molecular biology and clinical microbiology, where speed and bedside usability are the primary design constraints.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Clonit's two projects started within a year of each other (2015 and 2016), so the timeline does not show a long arc of change — rather, it reveals a coherent strategic focus from the start: fast, deployable diagnostics for serious infections. The shift from Ebola (an emergency outbreak context, IMI2-funded) to antibiotic-resistant bacteria (a chronic global health crisis, Innovation Action) suggests a deliberate broadening from rare high-impact pathogens toward everyday clinical microbiology with a larger commercial market. No keyword data is available, so this interpretation is based solely on project scope and funding scheme.

Clonit appears to be moving from niche outbreak diagnostics toward the broader and commercially significant antimicrobial resistance (AMR) diagnostics market, a strong signal for partners interested in clinical microbiology or AMR-related product development.

How they like to work

Clonit has never led an H2020 project — they enter consortia as a specialist partner, contributing specific diagnostic development capabilities to larger multi-partner efforts. Their participation in IMI2 (the EU-pharma joint undertaking) places them alongside major pharmaceutical companies and academic medical centers, suggesting they are comfortable operating as an industrial SME within complex, contract-governed consortia. With 23 unique partners across 12 countries from only 2 projects, they work in large, internationally diverse teams rather than tight bilateral arrangements.

Clonit has built a surprisingly broad network for a two-project participant: 23 unique partners across 12 countries, driven by the large consortium structures typical of IMI2 and Innovation Actions. Their network spans multiple European countries and likely includes pharmaceutical companies, university hospitals, and public health institutes given the nature of their projects.

What sets them apart

Clonit occupies a rare niche as an Italian industrial SME with hands-on experience in both viral outbreak diagnostics and bacterial AMR testing — two of the highest-priority areas in global health policy. Unlike purely academic groups, they bring a product-development mindset to consortia, which is exactly what IMI2 and Innovation Actions require to move research toward deployable tests. For a consortium needing an experienced diagnostics manufacturer rather than a laboratory researcher, Clonit is a credible and well-networked choice.

Highlights from their portfolio

• EbolaMoDRAD
  Funded through IMI2 — the EU's largest public-private health research partnership — this project placed Clonit alongside major pharmaceutical and academic partners to develop bedside Ebola diagnostics, demonstrating their ability to operate at the highest tier of European health R&D.
• FAST-bact
  A five-year Innovation Action (2016-2021) targeting rapid antibiotic susceptibility testing for both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, directly addressing one of WHO's declared global health emergencies and suggesting a commercially viable product trajectory.