Challenges and future opportunities in the pharmaceutical industry

Ronja Wennerström joined AFRY in September 2022. After graduating from the Civil Engineering program in Biotechnology at Lund University, she moved to Dublin to work as a project and process engineer in the food and pharmaceutical industry. This international experience gave her a deep insight into the dynamics of the industry, leading her back to Sweden and AFRY, where she now works as a process lead and technical project manager.

At AFRY, Ronja has participated in a number of different projects, from feasibility studies to more extensive detailed design projects. "I have had the opportunity to be involved from the procurement phase of equipment, to installation and operation," says Ronja. One particularly significant project was with a biopharma client, where she actively contributed to solving logistical and technical challenges.

How do we adapt the pharmaceutical industry for the future?

To ensure the pharmaceutical industry can meet future challenges and capitalise on new opportunities, it is crucial that production has strong adaptability.

"In our latest project, we are focusing on developing production lines that are not only efficient today, but also flexible for future changes. This is critical as production processes must run smoothly after installation and approval, to avoid costly losses," says Ronja.

Safety and quality in production are also of major importance. The production environment must be safe for both personnel and products, and the pharmaceuticals must meet high-quality standards. Thus, it is crucial to maintain a stable and reliable production process.

"Beyond this, we also see that the pandemic has caused global disruptions in supply chains that still affect the industry. Lead times have been extended and prices of materials have risen, creating difficulties in planning investment projects," she explains.

At the same time, we see how new trends in the industry offer exciting opportunities, such as the increasing connection of equipment and components. Instruments with Bluetooth functionality make remote monitoring possible and some instruments can even calibrate themselves, revolutionising how we manage operation and maintenance. Predictive maintenance is another important trend where collected data is used to anticipate when a component needs to be replaced or calibrated, minimising unforeseen interruptions.

We also see new scientific discoveries, like the AI model recently awarded the Nobel Prize in chemistry, that will revolutionise the production of pharmaceuticals. Production is moving toward greater automation and the use of process parameters to ensure consistent and safe manufacturing processes.

Sustainability in focus for the future pharmaceutical industry

Sustainability has become a central issue in the pharmaceutical industry, and we are actively helping companies to integrate sustainable methods into their operations. "A lot is about reducing water consumption in the cleaning of equipment, but also optimising cooling and heating and utilising the waste heat and cold from various processes," says Ronja. This work is crucial in reducing the industry's environmental impact.

As an actor in the pharmaceutical industry, AFRY provides expertise in areas such as quality, qualification, validation, process, project management, and automation. "We deliver projects ranging from minor changes to new production lines, enabling us to support our customers on many different levels," she concludes.

Ronja Wennerström is one of our employees who represent the future of the pharmaceutical industry - a sector full of challenges, but also offering enormous opportunities for innovation and sustainable development.