ScaleReady and Germfree discuss the need to rethink sustainability and move towards a more standardized and simplistic manufacturing model to ensure health equity can be achieved.

This episode of our monthly podcast Voices of Biotech brings you an interesting conversation with Carol Houts, chief strategy officer at Germfree and Josh Ludwig, global director commercial operations at ScaleReady.

Together, they discuss how sustainability measures can increase patient care and access through decentralized manufacturing models, which can reduce the time, space, and cost associated with producing cell and gene therapies (CGTs) and other modalities.

The conversation about sustainability leads into a discussion about the ecosystem in the life sciences space.

While both acknowledged and spoke in-depth about the advantages of educating the industry and shifting towards a more decentralized manufacturing model, Ludwig and Houts did not shy away from discussing some of the challenges the industry faces. These include the shortage of talent in the space, the element of many players still “figuring it out” as sustainability is not an individual issue but a collective one, and the issue of drug shortages.

The pair ended the podcast with some thought-provoking statements regarding the need to rethink what sustainability means and urged how standardization is really the key to achieving better patient care and access.

The latest episode can be found here or through the BioProcess Insider Expression Platform at, Spotify, Apple iTunes, Google podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Life Sciences partnering events company EBD Group discusses the importance of communication, education, and the trials and tribulations of organizing an event with sustainability in mind.

This episode of our monthly podcast Voices of Biotech brings you a slightly different conversation in this series about sustainability with Claire Macht, portfolio director, Europe and Manuela Hildebrand, regional delivery director, both from the EBD Group.

Together, they discuss how sustainability measures are implemented from an operational standpoint at conferences such as reuseable booths, less food and beverage wastage, more plant-based/vegetarian options, and even the much-debated topic of carpet or no carpet in the exhibition hall.

Additionally, Macht and Hildebrand discuss how and why sustainability is also tackled from a wellbeing perspective at EBD events. For example, providing attendees with healthier food and drink options, a massage booth, lounges to relax, fun runs, and more.

While both acknowledged and spoke in-depth about the need to educate and communicate with attendees and staff members on why certain decisions have been made to create a “buy-in” mentality, Macht and Hildebrand did not shy away from some of the challenges the team faces when planning an event with sustainability and the FasterForward initiative at the forefront.

EBD’s next partnering-focused event is ChinaBIO, taking place in Shanghai, China September 10-11th, or virtually on September 16-17th. Two months later, BIO-Europe will take place in Stockholm, Sweden on November 4-6th.

The latest episode can be found here or through the BioProcess Insider Expression Platform at, Spotify, Apple iTunes, Google podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.