Futureproofing medicines manufacturing with virtual solutions

Key Highlights:

  • The pharmaceutical industry is experiencing advancements in technology and a growing demand for novel therapies which has resulted in a significant skills gap, leaving many companies struggling to find qualified workers.
  • Traditional laboratory training often involves significant investments of resources, which can lead to substantial waste, whilst Resilience allows learners to practice real-world scenarios in a controlled and cost-effective environment. 
  • Resilience is committed to building a sustainable pipeline of skilled talent for the pharmaceutical industry and the NHS.

The pharmaceutical industry is experiencing a rapid transformation, driven by advancements in technology and a growing demand for novel therapies. However, this evolution has resulted in a significant skills gap, leaving many companies struggling to find qualified workers. To address this challenge, an innovative project called Resilience is leveraging virtual reality (VR) technology to provide hands-on training and bridge the gap between academia and industry.

Editor Rebekah Jordan speaks to Ivan Wall, a professor at the University of Birmingham and co-director of the Resilience project, to learn about the advancements the initiative is making in UK medicines manufacturing.

Bridging the gap

“There's a real challenge in medicines manufacturing to find hands-on experience,” Wall said. Nowadays, graduates are expected to be as ‘work-ready’ as possible when they start their STEM careers. Universities provide the theory and basis for knowledge building but lack the structure to provide the hands-on skills that the new workforce needs to kickstart their careers. Now, the shift to digital and automated solutions within pharmaceutical manufacturing has widened the gap between academic knowledge and industry-ready skills.

Resilience is the UK’s first Medicines Manufacturing Skills Centre of Excellence; it aims to develop a highly skilled workforce for the pharmaceutical manufacturing industry. Funded by the Office for Life Sciences, part of the UK Government’s Department for Science, Innovation & Technology, and managed through Innovate UK, Resilience is a £4.5 million, two-year programme. “Resilience is bringing together not only academic sources and companies but students as well,” Wall added. “I think one of the things through VR and through the project is to help bridge that gap between theory and practical skills that actually mean everybody's ready and has the confidence to go into that workplace ready to be effective.”

Transforming the industry

“We're seeing actually some quite significant changes in medicines production,” Wall said. “As new therapies emerge, such as cell and gene therapies, we’re seeing a significant shift from what the traditional business model for pharmaceuticals looks like.” This shift, coupled with the fact that the UK has ‘reduced talent mobility,’ causes a ‘paucity of skills’. To adapt to these changes, the pharmaceutical industry and the NHS require a workforce already equipped with the latest skills and knowledge. Resilience’s goal is to provide the talent pipeline that enables a thriving workforce ‘today, tomorrow and as we progress into the more digitally driven eras of medicines manufacturing.’

The problem is, whilst the digitalised and automated solution way of doing things sits well with a younger, tech-savvy workforce, many experienced workers who have spent their careers performing tasks in a specific way may lack the necessary training to transition to new methods. “It's quite hard to drive a culture shift where someone's been doing something a certain way,” Wall pointed out. “They don't suddenly want to change how they're doing things now. So, there are lots of different pressures like that on us.” Adding to the complexity, the NHS has committed to achieving net-zero emissions by 2045: “This has placed immense pressure on pharmaceutical supply chains to reduce their carbon footprint so that we can then drive net zero within the healthcare system.”

Suddenly, people are now thinking about climate change as being a health crisis, not just an environment crisis."

This trend is not limited to the UK either with healthcare providers worldwide facing similar mandates to become net-zero within the next two decades. As Wall put it: “Suddenly, people are now thinking about climate change as being a health crisis, not just an environment crisis.” This growing recognition of climate change as a significant health crisis has prompted the UK government to establish a national Centre of Excellence, Resilience was selected after an open competition. Commenting on their win, Wall said: “We were selected to lead this initiative, adopting a networked approach to training the next generation of pharmaceutical professionals."

A versatile training model

Traditional laboratory training often involves significant investments of time and resources, which can lead to substantial waste and a negative environmental impact. Whereas, Resilience allows learners to sustainably practice real-world scenarios in a controlled and cost-effective environment. “We're using virtual reality and other immersive technology approaches,” Wall said. “We can train people just using a headset rather than taking them into a real lab facility where they would be generating lots of plastic waste that has to be incinerated and where you'd ultimately then be producing lots of risks.” In addition, the use of VR means trainees no longer need to travel to laboratories to undergo training.

Resilience is a collaborative effort involving a ‘network of leading skills providers,’ which means the project is fully inclusive, prioritising both inspiring young minds and upskilling already-experienced professionals. “Resilience is not just for one age group or one set of people. It's a multifaceted project with many initiatives and collaborations," Wall stated.

Thanks to its partnerships between University of Birmingham, University College London, Heriot-Watt University, Teesside University and Britest Limited, Resilience offers a flexible and adaptable training model. “Companies can send their employees to attend courses at our designated training centres across the UK,” Wall explained. “Resilience also has another model where we bring the training to them, offering tailored programs to upskill their workforce.” Wall went on to say that an on-site approach ensures maximum accessibility and minimises disruption to business operations.

Resilience is a multifaceted project with many initiatives and collaborations."

Furthermore, Wall hopes that Resilience will serve as a ‘front door’ for international companies looking to establish a presence in the UK. "If foreign companies, such as vaccine manufacturers, want to set up in the UK, we want them to know that they can come to us. We can help them access and coordinate the talent they need.”

Long-term scope

Resilience is committed to building a sustainable pipeline of skilled talent for the pharmaceutical industry. By focusing on both immediate and long-term needs, the project aims to futureproof the industry. According to Wall, the goal of the project is not just solving the skills shortage but for this workforce to have the ‘right skills’ to meet the sector’s evolving needs. “It's very difficult trying to retrain professionals who are already very well established in their careers to adapt to emerging digital technologies being used to make medicines,” Wall described. “We’re seeing younger generations coming through the pipeline who are tech-savvy and naturally inclined to embrace these technologies. Therefore, our strategy is to not just fill the current skills gap but to build a future-ready workforce that can evolve with the industry.”

The focus also goes beyond essential practical skills. “While our primary focus is on medicines manufacturing, we also recognise the importance of developing essential soft skills,” Wall said. “This includes professional behaviours, conflict resolution, teamwork and leadership, all of which are particularly important for employees in relatively smaller biotech companies where, if one person leaves, the workforce could become critically under-resourced in just one day.” Wall believes the project’s commitment to lifelong learning will provide the industry with the talent it needs to thrive for years to come.