Kurt Nielsen, Ph.D. shares his strategies for sponsors to extract maximum value from contract service providers, the overlooked benefits of AI, and the shifting dynamics of the global supply chain.

Kurt has an extensive background in contract development and manufacturing, having previously held senior leadership roles such as CEO at Pharmaceuticals International, Inc. (PII), President of Lupin, VP at Sandoz, SVP at Catalent, and EVP at Teva. His consultancy, Longview Leader, assists life sciences clients with continuous improvement and asset management.

“The work we do every day truly makes a difference in people’s lives,” says Kurt. “Putting aside the politics and profit debates, at its heart, the pharmaceutical industry’s mission is to improve health, cure diseases, and enhance quality of life makes it an amazing place to work.”

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UK Biocentre is a respected leader in sample management, high-capacity bioprocessing & analysis, and automated storage.

With the capacity to store 35 million individual sample, it is the main processor for many of the UK’s government genetics projects, including the ambitious Our Future Health project which aims to collect and analyse the genetic samples of 5 million residents.

We sat down with Dr Tony Cox OBE a molecular biologist and CEO of UK Biocentre to discuss the centre’s pivotal role during the COVID-19 pandemic, and how they have returned to supporting ambitious biopharmaceutical projects.

“I’ve always been fascinated by DNA and the concept of information moving between generations. It blows my mind that something as simple but as complex could have arisen,” says Dr Cox. “We have a vibrant life science sector in the UK. It’s a fantastic place to be doing genetics."

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“The healthcare industry is responsible for 5% of global emissions, which is more than aviation,” says Robert Williams Director of Sustainable Procurement at AstraZeneca.

As Vice Chair of the Pharmaceutical Supply Chain Initiative (PSCI), he regularly engages with a wide cross-section of stakeholders from across the industry.

The PSCI is the leading association for pharmaceutical and healthcare companies, focused on driving an agenda for safety, environmental, and social outcomes across the global value chain.

The 81 members of the association, and the 1,000 registered suppliers, have a combined turnover of $1.3 trillion USD, representing approximately 80% of the global pharmaceutical industry (which is estimated to be $1.6 trillion USD).

Speaking to the PharmaSource podcast ahead of CDMO Live, Rob explains that working with suppliers is critical if the pharma industry is to realise its ESG and Net Zero ambitions.

“As more than 80% of PSCI member companies’ emissions are in the supply chain (97% in the case of AstraZeneca), the focus has to be on working closely with suppliers to achieve decarbonisation goals.”

“It’s clear that there is more that needs to be done globally, as we go beyond tier one and two suppliers, right back to the raw materials that we use,” he says.

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