The Biopharma 4.0 Alliance, led by Boston Consulting Group and NIBRT, have announced the opening of a new Innovation Centre to further bolster Europe’s biopharma expertise. Binocs has been selected to be involved in the B4.0 Alliance Innovation Centre, which showcases cutting-edge digital technologies that are considered to be key for the BioPharma industry.
Read the full press release below:
DUBLIN—Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and Ireland’s National Institute for Bioprocessing Research and Training (NIBRT), as part of the Biopharma 4.0 (B4.0) Alliance, have launched the world’s first innovation center fully dedicated to biopharma operations.
The innovation center showcases the latest Industry 4.0 (I4.0) technologies in biopharma manufacturing, quality control, and training excellence. These technologies are integrated with core operating processes to enable proof-of-concept use cases on new innovations and new ways of working, situated in an environment that simulates good manufacturing practice (GMP) standards.
The implementation of these technologies in the biopharma industry could lead to productivity improvements of up to 40%, especially when combined with lean methodologies. Whilst Europe has typically been a leader in biopharma innovation, the industry as a whole is behind other industries and the adoption of I4.0 technologies will help bridge the gap.
“Biopharma has traditionally lagged behind other industries in the adoption of cutting-edge technologies—often linked to a reluctance to introduce relatively ‘untested’ tech into the validated production environment. The B4.0 Alliance provides a safe GMP-like space to learn about, experience, and co-create digital use cases, quantify the value potential, and explore regulatory implications hands-on,” says Frank Cordes, Managing Director & Partner at BCG, and Operations practice lead for Western Europe. “We hope this center will encourage companies to experiment with new technologies and upskill talent, ensuring that the industry can accelerate the journey to value from I4.0.”
The innovation center allows visitors and alliance members to discover I4.0 technology and be inspired by biopharma-manufacturing-specific use cases. It also allows companies to co-create or pilot digital solutions to their specific challenges in a safe, GMP pilot environment.
The Alliance is a unique collaboration between leading players in the biopharma industry, select providers of innovative technologies, and industry experts from BCG and NIBRT.
“NIBRT has been delighted to work with BCG, our biopharma clients, and technology vendors to design and develop the Biopharma 4.0 Innovation Centre. This center provides a unique opportunity for the biopharma industry to test, assess, and develop proof-of-concept of leading 4.0 technologies with the potential to significantly increase efficiency in biopharma manufacturing. We look forward to the ongoing development of the center including the launch of our 4.0 training programs in 2020,” says Killian O’Driscoll, Director of Projects at NIBRT.
The center, situated in NIBRT’s Dublin facility, is based on a B4.0 design blueprint produced last year, outlining how biopharma companies can use cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence, dynamic scheduling, and augmented reality to revolutionize manufacturing operations. The blueprint contains a set of 90 key digital use cases prioritized by value. The current innovation center is divided into five rooms and demonstrates 30 of these key use cases, from a variety of suppliers.
The rooms:
For more information please visit https://connect.bcg.com/b4icolaunch/ or watch the Biopharma 4.0 Alliance video here.
The Biopharma 4.0 (B4.0) Alliance is a unique collaboration led by Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and the National Institute for Bioprocessing Research and Training (NIBRT). Formed in September 2018, it is made up of leading players in the biopharma industry, select providers of innovative technologies, and industry experts.
The National Institute for Bioprocessing Research and Training (NIBRT) is a global center of excellence for training and research in biopharmaceutical manufacturing. NIBRT is located in a world-class facility in Dublin, Ireland. This facility is purpose-built to closely replicate a modern bioprocessing plant with state-of-the-art equipment and enables NIBRT to offer the highest quality training and research solutions. NIBRT’s mission is to support the growth and development of all aspects of the biopharmaceutical manufacturing industry.
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Frederik is VP of Sales at Binocs and has over 25 years of experience in laboratory systems, including as a Project Manager for major LIMS rollouts at various global enterprises. When he joined Bluecrux in 2017, his experience and business development skills significantly boosted the commercial success of Binocs.
