The Biotech Ecosystem in Asia Pacific

The pandemic had a significant impact on life sciences and biotech companies, given the urgent need for faster drug development that came to the fore. Biotech companies, irrespective of their size, began improving operational efficiencies to reduce time to market. In this pursuit, automation emerged as an immediate solution to help them adapt to advanced technologies, meet demand, reduce costs, and improve reproducibility.

The pandemic showed us that traditional drug discovery processes that often span over decades have proven unsustainable in the face of new, emerging global health crises. Automation and AI in biotech manufacturing can help to address these new urgencies by grappling with many forms of data challenges, turning indispensable in the process. Despite challenges posed by the pandemic, the Asia Pacific biotech sector remained robust, displaying resilience and innovation by harnessing the potential of better technologies and facilities.

The transformation led to a shift in investment patterns, where the life sciences industry that was previously dependent on innovators around the world, are now seeking to invest in R&D across the region. Across various Asian countries, the biotech ecosystem now focuses on specific areas of biotechnology and pharmaceuticals, where regional variations in employment trends, capital-intensive manufacturing, and the emphasis on sector-specific analysis are shaping the landscape. Manufacturers are turning to advanced manufacturing automation technologies such as analytics, digital twin (process and plant), cloud, and cybersecurity to meet the needs of more complex manufacturing processes to develop specialized medicines – all while ensuring stricter compliance with global regulatory guidelines. 

Today, governments in Asia Pacific are exploring innovative technologies to propel the biotech sector forward. They are creating regulatory environments that are conducive to the growth of the landscape through a multifaceted approach that includes incentives, subsidies, and frameworks to strengthen the entire value chain. The emphasis is not only on R&D, but it also extends to manufacturing and commercialization. Here are some examples how the government is shaping biotech landscapes in their respective areas. 

This adoption of cutting-edge tech in manufacturing and automation has also played an instrumental role in helping companies to regulate and manage their overall cost of ownership. 

The expedited drug discovery process that followed the development of COVID-19 vaccines serves as a prime example of how automation and advanced technologies play a pivotal role in substantially diminishing both time and financial resources dedicated to R&D.

While capital-intensive manufacturing sectors witness increased sophistication, concerns about job displacement have loomed for quite some time too. This may be mitigated by acknowledging the rising demand for goods and services in the market and facilitating the workforce with specialized training and educational programs.

The adoption of cloud labs and robotic automation streamline workflows, reduces manual errors, and accelerates the pace of experimentation, leading to increased productivity. Automated experiments using robotics and digital microfluidics generate real-time electronic records, ensuring data accuracy and reliability. By minimizing human errors and standardizing processes, automation ensures a higher level of precision and reproducibility in experiments.

Rockwell Automation has been at the forefront of biotech manufacturing solutions, providing scalable automation platforms, manufacturing intelligence, and manufacturing execution systems (MES) to help biopharmaceutical companies improve production efficiency and meet regulatory compliance. The company’s solutions have been helpful in the success of various biotech companies, enabling them to achieve benefits such as smaller building footprints, reduced inventory, and less downtime.

Key capabilities include:

• Scalable automation platform: Rockwell Automation provides a foundation for seamless integration, enabling companies to scale operations efficiently.
• Manufacturing intelligence: Real-time insights and data-driven decision-making empower organizations to enhance operational efficiency and quality.
• MES solutions: MES ensures precise control over manufacturing processes, optimizing production, and compliance.
• Advanced therapeutic medicinal products: Advanced therapies is a revolutionary approach to medicine that addresses the genetic origins of diseases.
• Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) PartnerNetwork™ program: By collaborating with OEMs worldwide, Rockwell aims to provide a competitive advantage in the market to design, develop, and deliver innovative equipment.

To address the need to achieve balance, there is FactoryTalk® PharmaSuite® MES, providing an end-to-end solution to meet operational goals and productivity requirements consistently and predictably. The suite of solutions, covering process, information, automation, and services, creates a Lean Six Sigma environment, facilitating easy scale-up and waste reduction.

The implementation of high-throughput screening (HTS) processes, enhanced by AI, has revolutionized the accuracy and efficiency of drug development. This shift towards automation is not only enhancing operational efficiency but also enabling manufacturers to meet the evolving demands of the industry.

The life sciences industry, including biotech manufacturing, faces unprecedented challenges to deliver life-saving innovations faster, while working towards ambitious net zero goals to reduce carbon emissions and minimize environmental impact. This has led to increased regulatory and reporting compliance, adding to the complexity of operations in the industry. As countries legally hold packaging producers responsible for waste generation costs, the focus on sustainable practices becomes a strategic imperative.

Rockwell Automation’s know-how in power, process, and information solutions, combined with its sustainability consulting services and solutions, is helping biotech companies in the region to meet their environmental, social, and governance (ESG) commitments and accelerate their sustainability journey. From improving product quality to efficiently managing water, air, gas, electricity, and steam (WAGES), and reducing Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions— the goal is clear: tackle sustainability challenges and leverage digital transformation for a positive global impact.

Recognizing the time-consuming and expensive nature of drug discovery, more biotech companies are turning to technologies such as AI to expedite the identification of promising new drugs, as well as take advantage of its ubiquity across applications in pathology and diagnostic imaging. Pfizer, for example, has implemented AI and machine learning in various aspects of its operations, including supply chain management, manufacturing, and clinical trials, resulting in significant efficiency improvements and informed decision-making.

Following the pandemic, the next industrial revolution will adopt a more human-centric approach and pay closer attention to sustainability and resilience. Our collaboration with the Advanced Regenerative Manufacturing Institute (ARMI) aims to create an ecosystem that enables customers to adopt these emerging trends in life sciences. This partnership aligns with our vision for a future of technology that focuses on the path from ‘Automation to Autonomy’, and the development of skills for future industrial workers.

To learn more about how we are helping to propel Asia Pacific’s biotech ecosystems toward greater growth and success, visit our biotech manufacturing page.