Nordic Life Science 1
MANUFACTURING // CDMO T E X T B Y H EL EN A S T R
I G Å R D H ALF A DECADE into the 2020’s, the world finds itself in a turbulent era, to say the least. This is true geopolitically and financially, not to mention the natural disasters that rock the boat for people and businesses worldwide. Instability hits the life science sector hard. The sector’s dependence on large volumes of risk-willing capital, a highly trained and mobile workforce, and stable regulations makes it particularly susceptible to uncertainty. Thus, words like “de-risking” and “stability” are appearing more often than ever and have a soothing ring to them, not least for investors. During the early days of COVID-19, the uncertainty of what was happening in the world caused a momentary halt in investments in life sciences. This defied all logic, one might argue, as life sciences were clearly pivotal in addressing the pandemic. But that is how we humans operate – uncertainty makes us pause and analyze. It’s like when we see a car crash in the opposite lane of the motorway. We slow down out of precaution even though there is nothing preventing us from maintaining our speed in our own lane. It’s not a bad thing to pause and analyze factors of risk and instability. But in these times of constant uncertainty, how can we develop coping mechanisms that enable us to keep moving forward? No decision, after all, is also a decision. And slowing down can also create risk, such as cars bumping into you from behind. The one thing we have going for us this decade is, science – especially life sciences. For that we must not slow down. So, in these times of default instability, how does one navigate a steady course through troubled waters? I decided to take a closer look at the decision-making process in a part of our sector that is highly dependent on long-term stability – where wrong decisions can be detrimental: manufacturing plants. I toured three continents to gain exclusive insights from professionals in the manufacturing industry who are responsible for long-term strategic decision-making. Meet the Indian company Aurigene Pharmaceutical Services, and NORDICLIFESCIENCE.ORG | 79