Nordic Life Science 1
66 Steenberg is keen to highlight that, “Within i
n the microbiome, where we have a specific EU Signature project with Copenhagen Capacity and Invest in Skåne, there is a large demand for technical competences like bioinformatics, biostatisticians, chemical and process engineers, etc.” “Furthermore, in Denmark there is a lack of digital expertise to support the development of pharmaceuticals and medical equipment, and a need for more manpower to support for instance regulatory affairs, pharmacovigilance and quality assurance,” she adds. Torkel Gren, Member of SwedenBIO’s board and Senior Director Technology Officer & Strategic Investments at Recipharm along with Janet Hoogstraate, Chair of SwedenBIO’s working group on Manufacturing and Process Development and Managing Director Valneva Sweden echo similar findings in Sweden. They both maintain that regulatory affairs and quality assurance are two areas where demand is higher than supply. “From a manufacturing company’s perspective, it is also difficult to find technicians for sterile work and other skilled operators. Some of the shortages are quite specific, such as formulation scientist, but the skills shortages provide a challenge to Swedish life science companies’ expansion across the industry at all levels,” they state. Jacob Nilsson, Global HR Director at PolyPeptide, describes that there is a need for more process knowledge. “Meaning chemists or engineers with experience in processes and automation. Recruiting chemists is relatively straightforward, but to find people who know automation and manufacturing execution systems – this presents a bigger challenge. In other parts of the life science sector, there is also focus on accelerating the development of pharmaceutical substances with more digital automation; as a result, numerous companies are seeking the same competences within automation, and the competition has stiffened. If we could have our wish list answered we would like to see more people studying to become engineers or chemists with an additional qualification in analytical or digital areas, and for the university system to include more peptide chemistry in their training programs,” says Nilsson. If we turn to specialist recruiting and consulting companies operating in the industry many will share stories of the strain companies are facing both in searching for consultants and permanent hires. “It’s not uncommon for companies to approach us for support after they have been looking for a particular skill set for six months without any luck,” explains Helena Marteus, Head of Recruitment Nordics at life Hanna Sandvall, Director of Life Sciences and Engineering, Randstad 66 NORDICLIFESCIENCE.ORG CAREERS