PharmaTalk – Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Excellence
24th – 25th of June 2025, Brussels, Belgium

PharmaTalk is a leading annual meeting which brings together some of the most influential senior executives across the world’s Pharmaceutical Manufacturing community. The Talk will look at how companies and leaders are driving change within the industry to achieve manufacturing excellence through a series of key notes, workshops, networking discussions, roundtables and debates.

Industry Leader’s will be able to engage with fellow peers through a ‘closed door’ and ‘invitation only’ networking environment and discuss some of the industries key challenges in an intimate setting.

For more information, contact kamran.yousaf@gmstrats.com

     

            DAY ONE

Finding your way through the maze

– Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
– Objectives, and Key Results (OKRs)

  • Why is it so difficult to define the right indicators?
  • What are some hints and tips to defining the most appropriate metrics?
  • What should leaders do to support the cultural and behavioral change journey?

Carolyn Lum, Former Vice President Operational Excellence, Philip Morris International (Former)

OE Journey up to Shingo prize and beyond

• OE journey leading up to the Shingo Prize in August 2024.
• What lies beyond the Shingo Prize? Going beyond maturity: What does it take to truly achieve excellence?

Benedicte Verley Hudry, Head of Site, Ipsen

 

Accelerating Innovation: Digital Transformation at AstraZeneca

  • WHY Digitalize? – For Patient, People, Planet and Investors
  • WHAT to do? – Foundational systems, Digital Products, AI & LoCo NoCo (Successful use cases will be shown)
  • HOW to do? – Think big, Start small, Scale fast. + Combining Lean and Digital + Culture change
  • SO WHAT? – There is a Hugh Value to go for! (Learnings from successes and failures)
  • NOW WHAT? – Your own reflections!

 Anders Bergman, Digital Business Transformation Lead, Sweden Operations, AstraZeneca

Paperless Transformation – How to Effectively Move Paper-Based Processes into the Digital Future

  • The shift from paper-based processes to digital solutions is now crucial for organizations aiming to enhance efficiency, reduce costs, and improve sustainability
  • The intricacies of a successful paperless transformation program, highlighting key strategies and best practices
  • Streamlining operations by digitizing workflows, ensuring seamless integration across various departments. By leveraging advanced digital tools, organizations can achieve real-time data access
  • The program emphasizes the importance of change management, training, and stakeholder engagement to ensure smooth transition
  • Insights into the step-by-step approach to implementing a paperless system, from initial assessment and planning to execution and continuous improvement
  • The challenges faced during the transformation and how to overcome them, ensuring long-term success and sustainability

Michael Backhaus, Director, Engineering Operations & Industry 4.0, Data Digital & Technology, Takeda

Bayer Journey across Digital Solutions & Process Improvement

  • How we’ve been driving process improvement in Manufacturing.
  • Bayer’s experience with process standardization across the Pharma network.
  • How digital solutions support process improvement.
  • Bayer’s experience with process improvement and standardized digital solutions.

Diego Munoz, Global Operational Excellence Manager, Bayer

 

The Digital Thread: How to connect data to streamline Operations

  • Weaving the digital thread that connect the dots
  • Data integrity from sensor to SAP
  • Shifting mindset, how to build trust to a computer

Philip Olsson, Head of OT & Digitalisation Site API, AstraZeneca

 

Usage of AI for Predictive Maintenance in Pharma Manufacturing

  • Challenges: Unplanned downtime, high maintenance costs, and regulatory risks in pharma manufacturing.

  • AI-Driven Solution: Machine learning and IoT enable real-time monitoring, anomaly detection, and predictive alerts.

  • Key Benefits: Reduced downtime, optimized maintenance schedules, improved compliance, and cost savings.

  • Future Outlook: Digital twins, prescriptive maintenance, and AI-robotics integration for smarter operations

 Domenico Palumberi, Digital Operations Leader, GSK

Achieving highest operations excellence by digitally enhancing the capabilities of our people and assets

  • Our future vision and approach puts the humans at the center supported by new ways of working, remote operations, digitalization, competences and capabilities
  • Our “Quality Advisor” solutions are a prime example of innovation and collaboration. They offer tailored solutions for various production areas and set new standards in quality control and monitoring
  • From Proof-of-concept to company wide scale-out, only solutions which are of value are selected and productized
  • A particular focus is on the development of “Advisor” solutions into “Closed-Loop” applications
  • This has not only increased efficiency but also revolutionized the human-machine interface. We have learnt how important it is to optimize the interaction between humans and machines to achieve the best possible results

 Christopher Tonk, Digital Solution Advisor, Stora Enso

     

            Request Full Agenda

“My experience in attending this year’s PharmaTalk has been very enjoyable. I didn’t come last year so it was very good to be here again because every year, you innovate and I think this year’s agenda was very actual agenda with interesting topics”. 

Carlos Martins
Generis Farmaceutica S.A | Industrial Director

“The experience from Pharma Talk was very good, I think it was relevant lectures, relevant suppliers, and great to meet peers and some other people from Pharma to interact with”.

Anders Bergman
AstraZeneca | Digital Business Transformation Lead

“For me it was great, you had a great attendee list, the speakers were great to listen to, and the topics were according to my expectations so it was a good event”. 

Stefan Nerlich
Acina Pharma AG | Head of Continuous Improvement