Conference Agenda

Process Systems Engineering through the lens of biopharma: niche challenges or research questions of the future?

Pharmaceutical product and process development rely primarily on time- and cost- intensive experimentation. In recent years, the adaptation and deployment of computer-modelling tools in this space have been gaining increasing interest as means to inform, accelerate, and optimise the industrial workflow. Despite, however, the modernization of the day-to-day workflows, the sector is still challenged by endogenous and exogenous uncertainty that often impair the ability to deliver enough therapeutics on time. This is further highlighted in the case of new modalities, where product and process performance are still unknown. At the same time, manufacturers are pressured to deliver therapies at accessible prices, while also considering the sector’s environmental footprint.

In this talk, we will discuss how Process Systems Engineering (PSE) innovation can enable quantification of uncertainty across the whole product lifecycle, from manufacturing to distribution. We will explore how PSE innovation can be adapted and transferred to cater to the needs of next-generation biopharma, in an effort to increase the sector’s preparedness, responsiveness, and efficiency. The inherent, bi-directional relationship between manufacturing and supply chains will be discussed with a view to understanding how supply chain optimisation can be revisited to satisfy the needs of an ever-changing medical landscape. Lastly, we will discuss how open challenges in today’s biopharmaceutical manufacturing and supply chain operation can motivate PSE research for the future.