Collaboration In Biopharma: Harnessing The Power Of Cloud-Based Technologies

By Amy Brankin

From banking to e-commerce, cloud computing has transformed the landscape of the world economy. It is also gradually changing the face of the biopharma industry. In the scientific world, effective communication and collaboration are essential to successful outcomes. Although biopharma has been slower than some other industries to adopt cloud-based technologies, the field is increasingly relying on the cloud to advance scientific knowledge.

Challenges Facing the Biopharma Industry

At the core of the biopharmaceutical industry is data. Data is generated at every stage of the drug development process, from conducting basic science experiments to managing multi-site collaborations to finalizing a drug patent application. As the biopharma industry adapts to globalization, continued innovation will depend on finding solutions to the challenges of data sharing.

One of the greatest changes in the biopharma industry over the past few decades is an increased emphasis on collaborative relationships. Traditionally, biopharma companies have conducted projects in-house and have been fiercely protective of any information generated. Now, networks of researchers are becoming increasingly flexible. In-house scientists may collaborate with others in the biopharma industry, external research institutes, partners in academia, or contract research organizations. As a result, data sharing solutions need to be flexible and adaptive to this complex environment. The complexity of these partnerships also calls for new project management solutions to ensure that each piece of a project is executed effectively.