European Pharmaceutical Manufacturer editor, Reece Armstrong spoke with Tara Dougal, head of Content and Insights at CPhI Worldwide 2021 in Milan to find out about the return of the show and the trending topics in pharma.
Q) First of all, what’s it like having CPhI Worldwide return after the 2020 show had to be postponed due to the pandemic?
In a word - exciting. What we have seen across the show floor and from attendees is that there is a great deal of enthusiasm from everyone attending. While the pandemic has prevented in-person business meetings for the last 18-months or so, the industry collectively has a lot of opportunities and innovation is accelerating. Being able to bring the industry together is fostering a collaborative environment and we have seen both exhibitors and attendees looking to really maximise the value they get from being back at the world’s leading pharma event.
Q) In terms of some of the trending topics at CPhI this year, has Covid-19 had any influence on the conference streams?
Every year we adjust our agenda to reflect the current trends, but we also try to give insights to our audiences of the big opportunities and growth areas ahead. In terms of this year’s agenda, understandably the impact the pandemic has had on vaccine contracts and supply chain resilience has been a topic of note. But we also have sessions looking at next generation supply chain innovations, novel excipients, pharma 4.0, automation, formulation technologies and of course environmental sustainability in pharma. Our agenda looks ahead at the key trends covering every aspect from raw materials and ingredients through to MAbs, cell and gene therapies, and meeting capacity in contract services.
Judith Keessen
Tara Dougal, head of Content and Insights at CPhI Worldwide 2021
Q) Why have you chosen to host all of the CPhI content digitally this year?
We have taken a number of improved safety measures this year to ensure that our attendees can all take part in a productive, but safe environment. Additionally, by hosting all our sessions digitally, we enable far greater reach and interaction for those who are unable to attend in-person – and hosting all our sessions on-demand for an extended period means attendees have the flexibility to interact with the content on their own terms.
Q) This year I’m seeing a lot of conferences focused on sustainability and the efforts of the pharma industry.
Sustainability has been a core agenda topic in the past, and will continue to be a focus going forward, due to heightened industry awareness and a real need for understanding best practices. Many pharma companies have admirable and ambitious targets around reducing the impact of pharmaceuticals in the environment, safeguarding workers and managing their carbon footprint, and we hope to facilitate discussion and collaboration through our content offerings. At Informa, we are committed to championing sustainability through our events and via content hosted on our CPhI-Online platform.
Q) Obviously the CPhI Awards are back this year. With all the innovations taking place during Covid, was it more difficult to assess this year’s applicants?
It might be something of a cliché, but it’s always difficult for our judges to select the winners of the awards in an industry as fast moving and innovation focussed as pharma. But what has been achieved collectively in the last two years has been outstanding – and I think pharma should be extremely proud of its contribution. Last year we launched a special award to honour innovation in response to challenges of the pandemic – and this year it was one of the categories for which we received the most entries.
Q) With COP26 taking place this year, sustainability is obviously a big topic for all industries. We’re seeing a lot of focus on sustainability at CPhI – through the awards and content. How important is it to highlight the work companies are doing within pharma to become more environmentally friendly?
It’s incredibly important. Not only to create awareness, but also to help accelerate sustainable practices across the wider industry. Over the next few years, you will see sustainability and reducing pharma’s manufacturing impact is going to be one the single biggest talking points – and we are very keen to empower discussions with our network, through our events and with our partners.
Q) What does this trend mean for CPhI given its own sustainability credentials?
Sustainability has long been a core focus of CPhI and we are always looking at ways to evolve our events and make attendance as sustainable as possible. That includes initiatives like the shell scheme - ‘Better Stands’ - to working with our venue partners to utilise renewable energy sources (whenever possible) and looking holistically at the impact of our events and how we can make every aspect as sustainable as possible. For example, we use recycled carpets, have a digital first approach to printing, and source food locally. We also offer carbon offsetting and intelligent power use so that we maximise the impact of every KW used.
Q) In your opinion, what are some of the most important trends coming out of the show?
mRNA technology, connectivity, sourcing and supply chain transparency, sustainability and innovative approaches to manufacturing are all big topics of conversation this year, and we have some fantastic speakers covering these topics on our content agenda, for those looking for in-depth information on industry trends. More generally however, we have seen the industry is in a very robust place to grow over the next few years – and there is a very strong sense of optimism, enthusiasm, and positivity around 2022 and beyond. It’s just been incredibly positive to welcome the industry back to CPhI Worldwide and we are already looking forward to the 2022 edition in the Messe Frankfurt.”