What we asked: “Looking ahead to the next 5–10 years, what will be the key disruptors and/or what can be improved upon in the pharma industry?”
Response from: Michael Mrachacz, CSO & Managing Director, Uhlmann Pac-Systeme
“The pharmaceutical industry is affected by regulations like almost no other industry. Regardless of the requirements for ecological and social sustainability, we always have to fundamentally focus on patient safety. Furthermore, we are facing a rapidly changing world with a multitude of crises that will not disappear in the near future.
“We will not be able to meet these challenges with current production strategies, aimed primarily at optimizing existing processes from a cost perspective. Therefore, a fundamental revision of production strategies to find new solutions is essential to meet the challenges of sustainability, the increasing uncertainty of supply chains, and the disruptive changes in the industry. At the same time, therapies are being increasingly tailored to the individual needs of patients. This means smaller production batches and faster process conversion.
“To address all of these challenges, we must, above all, drive digitalization and automation forward. Digital production processes and smart factory concepts will enable us to respond more efficiently to the demands of personalized medicine. At the same time, digitized data analysis will help to process the large volumes of data arising from personalized medicine more quickly and to feed the results into production more efficiently. Both digitalized and automated production processes and the ability to process large amounts of data, also enable companies to operate in a more sustainable and resource-efficient manner and to respond with greater flexibility to crises.
“Flexibility is the bottom line. This also brings us to the concept of local4local, the second lever. In many manufacturing and production industries, we are seeing a shift towards local production. This is not least because of experiences surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, though environmental disasters, trade conflicts, and geopolitical shifts also play a significant role. Local production for local markets and collaboration with local suppliers enables companies to be independent of supply chains, helps to monitor and comply with regulations, and makes sustainability easier.
“In a world facing profound changes, these are the decisive changes that we need in the next ten years.”
Response from: Cristian Reiter, CTO & Managing Director Uhlmann Pac-Systeme
“In the next decade, we will need significant innovations in pharmaceutical packaging that emphasize sustainability and advanced technical solutions. Firstly, the adoption of recyclable materials for a circular economy will be decisive. Developing and integrating barrier packaging made of mono-material, such as mono PP, will reduce the ecological footprint, but these materials must still be designed to maintain the safety and stability requirements of pharmaceutical products.
“Secondly, smart packaging technology, especially automation and robotics, in packaging lines will also hopefully see advances; for example, AI-supported predictive maintenance could allow errors and signs of wear to be recognized and fixed before they cause problems. This minimizes downtimes, helping machines to remain productive for longer and work more efficiently. A significant role could also be played by AI-driven robots that can perform tasks such as sorting, filling, and sealing – enhancing precision and efficiency, minimizing human error and reducing material waste. Advanced robotics can also adapt to various packaging formats and sizes, offering flexibility and reducing the need for multiple machines, thus saving energy and resources.
“Furthermore, modular and adaptable packaging machinery will be essential. Machines that can quickly switch between different packaging formats and sizes without extensive downtime or reconfiguration will improve efficiency and reduce resource consumption. This flexibility will be particularly beneficial for small-batch production runs, which are becoming more common with personalized medicine.”
Read over 100 other views on the future of the pharma industry on our special web page.
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