Smart life sciences manufacturing, often known as Pharma 4.0, aims to provide practical guidance, embed regulatory best practices, and accelerate Pharma 4.0 transformations. The main goal is to allow organizations participating in the pharmaceutical product lifecycle to control the full potential of digitalization and provide faster therapeutic innovations and improved production processes for the benefit of end-users. These changes will bring huge opportunities to life science manufacturers in the coming years. Advanced automation solutions, modern cloud-based manufacturing execution systems, augmented reality (AR), and cybersecurity are among the major aspects of Pharma 4.0. The goal of Pharma 4.0 is to achieve safer pharmaceutical production with greater efficiency along with the whole value chain. It is a highly efficient automated process driven by an integrated manufacturing control strategy. COVID-19 pandemic underlined the insufficiency of paper-based processes in the manufacturing sector across the world. Companies in this sector are looking for having real-time visibility into production processes. The pharmaceutical industry has noticed improvements after the implementation of digital and automation technologies. These factors collectively drive the smart life sciences manufacturing market growth globally.
ABB Ltd, Emerson Electric Co, General Electric Co, Honeywell International Inc, and Rockwell Automation – Prominent Market Participants in the Smart Life Sciences Manufacturing Market
Key stakeholders in the smart life sciences manufacturing market are hardware providers, software providers, technology enablers, regulatory bodies, system integrators/service providers, and the life sciences industry. The demand for various hardware and software solutions, along with digital transformation services, has increased in the life sciences industry due to the large-scale adoption of Pharma 4.0 in recent years. Hardware providers supply sensors, controllers, and various other components, which allow for the digital transformation of the life sciences manufacturing plants. Software providers supply various solutions that facilitate connections between hardware components and aid in data collection and storage in life sciences manufacturing plants. Technology enablers play a crucial role in the rising adoption of Pharma 4.0 solutions, as they provide platforms to host different solutions. Regulatory bodies ensure that the solutions being used in life sciences research and manufacturing comply with regulations. System integrators/service providers are third parties that aid in developing, customizing, integrating, and maintaining different smart manufacturing solutions in pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturing plants and laboratories. The life sciences industry is the end user of the various solutions and services pertaining to smart manufacturing.
ABB Ltd, Emerson Electric Co, General Electric Co, Honeywell International Inc, and Siemens AG are some of the key market players operating in the global smart life sciences manufacturing market. The listing of key players is derived by considering multiple factors such as overall revenue, current product portfolio, geographical reach, new product launches, market initiatives, and investment in technology up-gradation, partnerships, and other market-related activities. In addition to these players, there are several other important players operating in the smart life sciences manufacturing ecosystem, which were analyzed during the course of this market research study, such as Rockwell Automation, Bosch Rexroth AG, Fortinet Inc, IBM Corporation, and Sophos Group plc.
Most of the market developments were observed in North America, Asia Pacific, and Europe region, which have a high potential of market-related products, solutions, and services. Few of the important market developments from the industry are mentioned below:
- In February 2023, Theragent, a cell therapy CDMO focused on advancing next-generation cancer and rare disease treatments, signed a multi-year exclusive contract with Insight68, an AI-driven software provider that aims to digitalize and streamline the cell therapy manufacturing process. The partnership reinforces Theragent’s commitment to 100% digital batch record compliance and elevates the company’s reputation as a leading CDMO in the current biopharma manufacturing transformation.
- In January 2023, Researchers at the University of Nottingham’s Centre for Additive Manufacturing (CfAM) in the UK received a US$ 7.4 million grant from the British government to develop a toolkit that will allow 3D printed medicines to be manufactured effectively. The project aims to create “smart products” on demand that are personalized and bespoke, driving innovations closer to commercial production. Examples of “smart products” include prosthetic limbs and bio drugs containing active ingredients such as biological molecules and living plasters or wound patches that can rebuild tissues damaged from chronic disease.
