Flexibility and Sustainability Driving Evolution in Equipment

3d render. Pharmaceutical manufacture background with glass bottles with clear liquid on automatic conveyor line. COVID-19 mRNA vaccine production platform. | Image Credit: © wacomka - stock.adobe.com

At conferences and trade shows up and down the calendar, bio/pharmaceutical companies take the opportunity to showcase new, updated, or redesigned equipment, responding to not only the latest demands of the market, but also the innovations of competitors.

In an interview with Pharmaceutical Technology® Group, Sheikh Akbar Ali, PhD, general manager and head of Development and Technology at ACG World, reviewed the state of equipment innovation, the emerging technologies that are shaping a new standard of efficiency, how global pressures are affecting the supply chain for raw materials, and what options are available to manufacturers who desire to make their processes more sustainable (1).

A leap forward in accuracy

In examining recent general trends in equipment, Akbar examined what is most in demand, including areas of progress like smart tools and three-dimensional (3D) printing.

“Digital, or on-demand, printing is gaining popularity for enabling batch-level information to be printed just before medicines are packed,” Akbar said. “This supports traceability, eliminates errors, and increases patient safety as well as flexibility, especially in smaller or personalized medicine batches.”

Flexibility was also top of mind at the Biotechnology Innovation Association (BIO) Annual Convention in Boston in June 2025, where Bartłomiej Czubek, director of Business Development at Mabion, spoke to BioPharm International® about the role of contract development and manufacturing organizations (CDMOs) in the biologics field.

“Using the right technologies, like single-use systems, automation, and digital tools, can speed up production and improve quality,” Czubek said (2). “Clients prefer working with partners who offer everything in one place, from development to commercial manufacturing, with no handoffs. [And] global reach and available capacity are more important than ever. As demand grows, CDMOs with strong infrastructure and global sites will be key partners.”

Akbar agreed with PharmTech Group’s assessment that so far in 2025, artificial intelligence (AI) has persisted as a growing factor in all types of processes.

“ACG has been investing significantly in AI to develop smarter equipment. As an example, our vision inspection systems are capable of detecting even the slightest manufacturing defects, ensuring only flawless products are produced. The integration of AI has resulted in a quantum leap forward in defect-detection accuracy,” Akbar said. “Also, training these systems now requires minimal human involvement, with the machine continuously learning and refining its performance through deep learning, and improving its own efficiencies incrementally.”

Efficiency in-house and in partnerships

As an increasing number of companies take steps to bolster capacity to meet the demands of their customers, some distinct categories of equipment have emerged as ones that companies are looking to include in their expansion plans.

“Like many other sectors, pharmaceutical companies are highly attuned to cost efficiency and inventory management. With a growing emphasis on sustainability, they are now equally attentive to the carbon footprint of their products,” Akbar said.

When it comes to biologics, Czubek said, aiming for as seamless a process as possible is the goal in contract manufacturing relationships. “What really works is a mix of good planning, strong technology, and open communication with clients,” he said. “For example, using isolators for sterile filling helps reduce the risk of contamination. At the same time, building an integrated process from cell line to final product helps save time and avoid delays.”

And again, according to Czubek, flexibility is of utmost importance. “Every project is different. So having modular equipment, skilled teams, and the ability to adjust timelines or batch sizes makes a big difference,” he said. “It's also very important to build strong relations with trusted suppliers for raw materials and reagents or services that a CDMO doesn't have in-house.”

Strengthening sustainability

Akbar added that energy efficiency is another major consideration. “Technologies that capture waste heat from the process stack and reuse it to reduce overall energy consumption are gaining traction,” he said. “These innovations enable manufacturers to efficiently handle a variety of eco-friendly materials without compromising on productivity or quality. In addition, companies setting up new production lines or facilities are prioritizing digital and on-demand printing infrastructure. This enables greater operational flexibility and supports compliance with evolving regulatory requirements.”

To meet the manufacturing needs of all concerned, outsourcing relationships and partnerships have had to undergo somewhat of an evolution, also driven by the current tenuous geopolitical climate.

“Global supply chain disruptions—driven by geopolitical tensions—are significantly affecting raw material sourcing,” Akbar said. “This creates bottlenecks in both production and delivery. The issue is particularly severe for sustainable materials needed to meet net-zero goals, as these materials are either scarce or unaffordable.”

Since ACG deals largely in packaging solutions, Akbar forecast the next stage of innovation in single-use technology—which Czubek also cited as a key point of interest for the industry—and how it is aligning with sustainability goals.

“In pharmaceutical applications, reusing packaging is not feasible due to contamination risks. Therefore, single use remains the industry standard. However, significant innovation is occurring to align single-use packaging with sustainability goals,” Akbar said. “These developments enhance recyclability, minimize material usage, and offer safer disposal options, bringing sustainability to single-use packaging without compromising either safety or functionality.”

What’s on the horizon

Regulatory changes, either new, imminent, or expected, are something companies and their clients always need to be aware of, an observation not lost on Akbar. “There is a notable gap in global regulations for alternative sustainable packaging materials,” he said, “which hampers the adoption of newer, eco-friendly options. This regulatory vacuum makes it difficult for pharmaceutical companies to switch to sustainable formats, despite technological readiness. Additionally, the European Union (EU)’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism is a pressing concern. It imposes a tax on imported products, increasing the cost of non-EU packaging materials. This may impact pricing and competitiveness for companies like ACG that export into the EU market.”

Providing regulatory hurdles are conquered, companies continue to be enthusiastic to expand and innovate. In advance of BIO 2025, Aragen announced its plans to commence good manufacturing practice (GMP) manufacturing at its biologics manufacturing facility in Bangalore, India, following the successful completion of facility and equipment qualifications that the company said demonstrated its intensified fed batch cell culture manufacturing platform (3).

The productivity of that platform has been proven to deliver titers greater than 25 g/L, Aragen said, and the Bangalore facility has the flexibility to house multiple single-use 2-KL bioreactors—which are set up for both fed batch and intensified fed batch production—delivering one batch every four to five days at full capacity.

Demonstrable statistics such as those, Czubek said, are crucial milestones for contract manufacturers to achieve.

“Today as titers are higher and biologics become more potent ... CDMOs must be able to quickly adapt to the specific needs of each client, both at the clinical and commercial stage,” he said. “We've built our capabilities to meet those needs from small batches to full-scale production.”

Pharmaceutical manufacturers have so far responded well to the demands that 2025 has presented, but as both Akbar and Czubek stressed, staying as flexible as possible will help ensure that the demands of the second half of the year are met just as vigorously.

References

1. Lavery, P. How Smart Technology is Helping Reach Sustainability Goals in Drug Packaging. Pharmaceutical Technology 2025, 49 (5) 20–21.
2. Lavery, P. BIO 2025: CDMO Partnerships in the Biologics Field. BioPharmInternational.com, June 18, 2025.
3. Aragen. Aragen’s Biologics Manufacturing Facility Completes Qualification; First GMP Batches in Late July 2025. Press Release. June 12, 2025.

About the author

Patrick Lavery is an Editor for BioPharm International^®.

Article details

BioPharm International®
Vol. 38, No. 6
July/August 2025
Pages: 16–18

Citation

When referring to this article, please cite it as Lavery, P. Flexibility and Sustainability Driving Evolution in Equipment. BioPharm International 2025 38 (6).