Bridging the skills gap for tech-savvy staff
The manufacturing sector is responsible for producing goods for consumption around the globe. However, the industry is under threat. A November 2023 survey by Eurobarometer discovered that skills shortages are a serious problem for small and medium-sized enterprises across the EU.
Environmental justice
Environmental justice is not a new concept[1]. The first calls for this were in the 1980s when protesters tried to block the construction of a landfill for toxic waste in Afton, North Carolina, US[2]. That effort failed, but the ideals have spread to the halls of power. However, the adoption of environmental justice principles has done little to slow the progress of climate change, or to tackle the hazards (and opportunities) of sustainable innovation.
Continuous progress
The combination of net zero needs and the Ukraine invasion has begun to drive exponential change in the chemicals manufacturing area. As in other industries – for example, the move from gasoline and diesel cars to electric vehicles – it will produce winners and losers.
Plastic packaging tax
In 2018, the UK government shared its 25 Year Plan[1], setting out the steps envisaged to tackle environmental issues, notably plastic waste. After several years and consultations, the plastic packaging tax (PPT) was developed to incentivise businesses to use recycled plastic in the manufacture of plastic packaging as opposed to virgin plastic. It came into effect in April 2022 and – as of 1 April 2023 – charged at a rate of £210.82/t, rising to £217.85/t from 1 April 2024.
Growth for biologics
Overall demand for biologics is expected reach 4.4m L by 2027, up from 2.5m L in 2022, with a growth rate of 11.5%/year and capacity increasing during the same time to 8.4m L, up from 6.55m L in 2023.
Pharma labs
The pharma industry is currently responsible for over 4% of global carbon emissions, and is on track to grow in the coming years. The UK Government has committed in legislation to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, but achieving this goal could hinge on whether or not the industry finds a way to go green.
UK life sciences flourishing
The UK life sciences sector employs over 280,000 people, and according to Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, the industry makes £94bn for the UK each year[1]. Consequently, although Biosynth is an international company with headquarters in Switzerland, we have expanded our UK operation significantly in 2023 to over 150 employees.
Transparent communications
The way internal communication at manufacturing plants is structured is the most controllable factor contributing to plant efficiency. As many as 86% of employees and executives say that mishaps in communication are a leading cause of workplace failure, indicates a survey conducted by a development company Fierce[1]. Posing risk when inadequate, but producing major benefits when done right, communication remains a centrepiece of healthy operations across most industries.
Pharma fortunes
The CPHI Pharma Index – a collateralised metric of all small molecule categories – reported its second highest ever total, just 2.5% down on the 2022 all-time high. This result highlights the medium-term trajectory of the industry and the underlying strength of market fundamentals. The Index was released in full at CPHI Barcelona in October 2023.
Medicines from waste
Reducing environmental impact and decreasing costs are powerful incentives for innovators to focus on, turning potentially hazardous chemical waste into something useful. Increasingly, that also includes looking to industrial waste for chemicals that may be useful to the pharmaceutical industry.