Last week, I was fortunate enough to attend the AUTOMA+ Congress in Vienna.

This invite-only event brought together pharmaceutical companies and automation vendors to discuss the latest control technologies and the real-world challenges in pharmaceutical manufacturing.

Across the two days, we heard from organisations including GSK, Merck, Boehringer Ingelheim, Roche, and Zeta. Topics ranged from digital twins and sustainability to the use of satellite data in pharma.

A consistent pain point across the industry was data. Pharmaceutical companies generate vast amounts of it: batch records, process readings, energy consumption, and more. All of it holds potential value, yet much of it is locked away in inaccessible formats such as paper, PDFs, and spreadsheets. Extracting and transforming this information into usable, structured data remains a significant challenge.

The Role of AI in manufacturing

Unsurprisingly, every presentation referenced Artificial Intelligence. AI is increasingly seen as a promising solution for unlocking and utilising this data.

However, the rapid pace of AI development is creating new challenges for large pharma companies. By the time an AI project’s tech stack is agreed, funding approved, and a team assembled, a newer and more capable model often emerges, forcing a rethink and sometimes a restart.

This is where smaller, more agile companies have an advantage. They can move quickly, identify a niche, and rapidly build AI-driven solutions that directly address shared industry pain points.

Some of the highlights from the two days included:

A workshop by Dr. Joachim Bär from Boehringer Ingelheim on their successful implementation of digital twin technology to improve holistic decision-making and optimise both networks and facilities.

Martin Mayer from Zeta, who presented their journey toward digital transformation and the use of AI-assisted workflows.

One quote that caught my attention was from Cedric Colon, Global Supply Chain Strategy Programme Management Global Process Owner (try fitting that title on a business card!) at GSK:

“The Future that will Create Value

Are not Humans, Are not AI

But Humans Using AI.”

Cedric spoke several times over the two days and offered sharp insights into AI and the wider industry. With the pace of change being so fast, there is a real risk that speed overtakes efficiency.

All in all, it was well worth spending two days in Vienna (though unfortunately I didn’t get to see much of the beautiful city). My main takeaway is that automation and AI have a key role to play in driving innovation and efficiency across the pharmaceutical industry.

Written by Rhys Lews – Feed4ward CEO