Roberto Tribuno: A Visionary Leader Building the Future Where Care Meets Strategy
Some chapters in life deserve a better setting. Today, as the life expectancy of an average person has increased and people remain active well into older age, there’s a growing need to reimagine how communities, homes, and healthcare systems support them. This support must no longer be treated as an afterthought, but as a design priority. It’s not only about addressing medical needs, but about shaping environments that bring comfort, connection, and dignity to everyday life.
That belief sits at the core of Roberto Tribuno’s work. With over two decades of experience at the intersection of healthcare, real estate, and finance, he leads and is the CEO of Health Invest Srl and its group of companies with a vision that reaches far beyond traditional development. His projects respond not just to growing demand, but to a deeper truth: one-third of the population in countries like Italy is now elderly, and the old models of living no longer fit.
Roberto sees real estate as more than structure; to him, it’s a tool to reshape how society cares, connects, and evolves. From removing long-ignored barriers in cities to studying new ways of living through senior housing, nursing homes, and tele-assisted communities, his approach blends design, technology, and empathy. Creating facilities is only part of the work; the real task is rethinking life for a generation that still has so much to give, and deserves to live with purpose, safety, and presence.
Roots of a Real Estate Calling
Roberto’s interest in real estate started early, not through textbooks or business plans, but through family. His family had a few private property investments, and he naturally found himself helping out. It wasn’t anything official at first, just small responsibilities. But that early exposure sparked something.
When he began his career as a chartered accountant at a large firm, real estate came up again, this time on a much bigger scale. The firm worked with major companies listed on the Italian stock exchange, many of them involved in real estate development and construction. That’s where Roberto really started learning the nuts and bolts of the industry.
Italy has always had a strong relationship with real estate. Most Italians own their homes, and a lot of personal savings go into property. That deep cultural connection caught Roberto’s attention, too. Beyond the financial side, he became genuinely interested in how buildings are developed, how locations are chosen, and how new technologies play a role in it all.
Over time, this interest turned into his main focus. He began advising clients, helping them with real estate investments, financing, and long-term planning.
Turning Expertise into Health Infrastructure
Roberto’s long-standing work in real estate and finance eventually opened the door to a new sector: healthcare. He and his team were approached by a leading international firm that wanted to expand its healthcare footprint in Italy.
The firm wasn’t just focused on running medical facilities; they also wanted to develop and own the buildings, designed to their own specific standards. This was the point where Roberto’s background in finance and real estate aligned perfectly with a new opportunity in health care.
What started as consultancy work grew into a long-term collaboration with this large French group, one of the leaders in Europe’s health care space. His team advised not only them but also other key players in the sector, from rehab clinics to nursing homes. Over time, with over 25 years of collective experience, Roberto and his team decided to take things a step further. That’s when they created Health Invest, a company built specifically to support health care operators from start to finish.
Health Invest was designed to offer full-scale services. On one side, the company works with major care providers, those running clinics, diagnostics, and long-term care homes. On the other side, thanks to a team of engineers and architects, they also take care of the physical design and construction of those facilities. Roberto emphasizes that building for health care isn’t like building anything else; there are legal standards, operational efficiencies, and specific use cases that require precision. These buildings have to function as tightly run systems, not just look impressive on the outside.
Health Invest didn’t stand alone for long. Roberto and his partners built a small group of companies around it. Rodevita became the holding and finance arm, searching for opportunities, new sites, acquisitions, or projects. ComfortCura was added later, stepping in to manage the facilities themselves, especially in the early stages of operation. Once those facilities are running smoothly, they often hand them off to long-term operators looking for fully set-up, ready-to-run assets.
The group offers a full, end-to-end process: from scouting locations and financing, to design, construction, regulatory approvals, and even the launch of operations. Everything under one roof. Roberto sees it as a one-stop shop built on years of hands-on work, making complex health care projects possible, from the blueprint to the bedside.
Creating Structure in a Fragmented Process
One of the biggest challenges Roberto faced in his journey wasn’t technical or financial; it was putting everything under one roof. Coordinating so many different parts of the process into a single, reliable system was no small task. The goal was to create an operation that both investors and healthcare players could trust, one that delivered high-quality work across every stage, and could be recognized in the market as a serious, professional partner.
It meant building a structure that could deal with everyone involved: local authorities for building permits, health authorities for medical licenses, public institutions that assign care services through official contracts, real estate investors, banks, leasing firms, construction companies, and fund managers. Each of them speaks a different language, moves at a different pace, and has different expectations, and Roberto’s team had to align them all.
Beyond that, the challenge included overseeing contracts with builders, launching the facility’s services, hiring staff, setting up internal systems, getting all the right approvals, and ensuring the final facility could operate efficiently and meet care standards. And of course, it also had to make financial sense, generating strong enough returns to satisfy the investors behind each project.
That full-chain coordination is what Roberto worked to solve. Over time, by building trust, setting a clear process, and keeping everything integrated, his group was able to turn a scattered process into a working system, one that delivers facilities that are compliant, operational, and financially sound.
Designing for Efficiency, Powered by Tech
For Roberto, technology plays a key role in two areas: how the facilities are built, and how they operate once they’re open. On the construction side, he and his team are constantly adopting new materials, prefabrication methods, and layout strategies that improve speed, precision, and overall quality. The way buildings are developed today has changed significantly in the past 10–15 years, and he’s made it a point to stay ahead of that curve.
One example is the use of fully prefabricated bathroom units. These are manufactured off-site, fully completed, and simply installed on location, avoiding long construction timelines, on-site delays, or inconsistencies. This kind of modular thinking makes it easier to manage costs and maintain high standards. The team also uses advanced planning tools to make sure every square meter is used efficiently, which is especially important when building in urban centers where space is tight and expensive.
Inside the facilities, digital systems are used to support both operations and care. From staff scheduling to patient monitoring, everything is increasingly tracked electronically. Surveillance, alerts, medical records, and therapy planning are handled through digital platforms that give care teams real-time information and make coordination more effective. Still, Roberto believes strongly that while technology is important, human care remains at the center of these services. Technology supports the people, it doesn’t replace them.
Beyond day-to-day operations, sustainability and ESG principles are a major focus. Roberto’s team works to reduce energy and water use, integrate environmentally responsible materials, and build in ways that minimize impact. All of their projects are designed to meet strict standards, every build in recent years has achieved at least LEED Gold certification, and they’ve met that goal 100% of the time.
That focus on sustainability is also driven by investor demand. Banks, funds, and leasing companies are increasingly evaluating environmental impact as part of their due diligence. Roberto and his team are ready for that scrutiny; every project is audited, certified, and built to last.
Another challenge he takes seriously is the fact that healthcare facilities never shut down. They run 24/7, all year long. That means maintenance and repairs can’t disrupt care. From the design stage, his team plans for this, creating dedicated areas where maintenance can be handled without interfering with patients or daily operations. It’s another layer of forethought that reflects the larger approach: practical, efficient, and built for real-world use.
Elevating Standards by Delivering Excellence
Recently, Health Invest received an award for innovation from a group that evaluates companies across different industries. The recognition came as a surprise, but it meant a great deal, especially because it reflected not just one achievement, but years of work from a team that has built something meaningful together. Roberto described it as a proud moment for everyone involved.
He credits the award to the collective effort of the entire team, people who’ve been working side by side for years, some for over two decades, and others who joined more recently. What stands out, he says, is the mix of experience, fresh perspectives, and open collaboration that drives each project forward. Every person brings their own expertise, and the internal discussions, sometimes debates, help make the work stronger. It’s a culture where every voice counts.
Roberto believes each project they take on raises the bar. Every new facility aims to be better than the one before it, and so far, he says, they’ve held true to that goal. For him, this award isn’t just a trophy. It’s a moment that celebrates the team’s shared commitment, consistency, and continuous push to improve.
Shaping Care Environments by Prioritizing People
Two recent projects in Milan, a nursing home and a senior housing facility, stand out as clear examples of Roberto’s vision in action. Both were built in highly constrained urban spaces, where available volume was limited by regulation and land costs were high. That meant the team had to be exceptionally smart about how every square meter was used.
Despite the challenges, the results were two facilities that met the highest standards of efficiency and sustainability. Both achieved LEED Gold certification, but more importantly, they’ve been widely appreciated by residents, families, and professionals for their comfort, functionality, and overall quality.
Each space was designed not just to meet clinical needs, but to create a better daily life for people who often arrive at a vulnerable stage in life. The layouts were intentional, the materials carefully chosen, and the architectural details crafted to make the environment feel safe, warm, and dignified.
Behind these builds is a team with a shared mindset: every project is a chance to do better. The belief is simple: the next facility should always outperform the last. And so far, Roberto says, they’ve kept that promise.
Connecting Dots Before Committing
Roberto’s advice for anyone entering the intersection of healthcare, real estate, and finance is simple, but firm: don’t isolate one piece of the puzzle. He sees too many projects proposed with a narrow focus, often centered entirely on real estate, without taking into account the full scope of what it takes to build and operate a healthcare facility.
Real estate is just one part of the equation. To build something that actually works, it needs to be tied closely to financial sustainability, long-term management, and regulatory realities. Where is the project located? What does the land cost? What’s the business plan? Can the operator cover the real estate costs over time? Without answering these questions in full, even the best-located site won’t succeed.
Roberto also cautions against the growing presence of underprepared people in the space, those who only look at permits or buildings, without integrating the clinical, financial, and operational layers required for a facility to function well. This can lead to failed projects and unrealistic expectations for investors. His message is clear: success in this space requires depth, discipline, and a complete understanding from day one.
Expanding Thoughtfully in a Changing Market
Looking ahead, Roberto sees both challenge and opportunity. As populations age across Italy, Europe, and the Western world, the demand for healthcare and support services will only grow. That reality drives Health Invest’s long-term strategy, but navigating it isn’t straightforward. While the need is clear, many governments are tightening budgets and limiting new healthcare developments, often out of concern for future public costs.
Despite that, demand from families and individuals continues to rise. Roberto notes a steady increase in people reaching out, seeking advice, services, or space, which wasn’t the case even a decade ago. The need is real, and it’s growing.
One area his team is especially focused on is senior housing. Unlike in Northern Europe or the U.S., this model is still underdeveloped in Italy. Roberto believes it offers a huge opportunity to provide elderly people, many of whom are still self-sufficient, with safe, social, and supportive environments. These aren’t nursing homes, but communities with restaurant service, cleaning, light healthcare, and daily assistance, spaces where residents can remain independent without being isolated.
This, he says, is a gap worth filling. The social aspect, connection, community, and daily interaction are just as critical as physical care. Health Invest has been exploring this segment seriously since the COVID-19 years and is now actively developing several projects in this space.
Another area gaining attention is psychiatric rehabilitation, particularly for younger people. Roberto points to the mental health impact of modern life, stress, disconnection, and pressure, which have made psychiatric care more essential than ever. He sees this as another rising need that Health Invest is preparing to meet, in parallel with its continued work in rehab clinics and elderly care facilities.
The vision going forward is clear: continue growing, but grow with purpose, focusing on where the real needs are and building systems that last.
Roberto Tribuno: Chief Executive Officer
Organization: Health Invest Srl
Website: https://www.healthinvest.it/
