Bertarelli Foundation

The Bertarelli Foundation works to deliver lasting change in the fields of marine conservation and life science research. By developing partnerships with scientists, NGOs and governments, it is the Foundation’s hope that the projects it has helped to establish can lead the way in showing how to tackle some of the most critical issues we all face.

The Bertarelli Foundation was founded in 1998 by Maria Iris, Dona and Ernesto Bertarelli. For its first ten years it worked primarily to establish and develop healthcare projects building upon the legacy of The Serono Foundation. In 2008 it refocused on two particular areas – marine conservation and life sciences. Both are of historic significance to the family. Serono – the company built by the Bertarelli family over three generations – was at the forefront of healthcare research, while each of the family have a deep and long-held affinity for the oceans.