Digital Medicines Manufacturing – Future of Work consultation webinar

 

On 12th January 2023, CMAC’s Digital Medicines Manufacturing ( DM²) team & the InterAct team at Strathclyde University co-hosted a webinar for those interested in sharing their views on the future of work in medicines manufacturing.

Like many industries, pharmaceutical manufacturing is experiencing a transformation through the increased development and use of digital technologies, such as AI, robotics and virtual or augmented reality.

We often hear how new technological advancements will transform jobs in the manufacturing sector as a whole, but what does this mean for the future of work in pharmaceutical manufacturing both on an individual and collective level? Part of the challenge facing medicines manufacturers in the UK and beyond is understanding how today’s jobs and skills will lend themselves to new opportunities created by the implementation of these advanced technologies.

The pace of technological change raises many interesting questions for academics, policy makers and employers which were explored in the webinar:

  • How can the sector prepare people to work alongside new technologies, robots, and co-bots?

  • What are the essential skills for future pharmaceutical manufacturing workplaces and how can we enable these through training and education?

  • How can advanced technologies help generate and embed new ways of working by opening up career opportunities for otherwise hard-to-reach groups such as women, minorities, older workers and disabled people?

Attendees representing pharmaceutical manufacturers, technology providers and academia joined the discussion. To the right, you can access the report that summarises the questions posed to the attendees and their responses, along with the presentation used to set the scene.

These outputs are invaluable to DM² as we build our skills development platform. The insights gained will mean the bespoke training materials we’ll deliver alongside those we’ll curate from around the medicines manufacturing ecosystem, will address key areas and gaps that will benefit industry most.

Industrial Digital Technology Use and Skills Survey

To support this work, we have also created an Industrial Digital Technology Use and Skills Survey. Click on the link below to add your thoughts, concerns and ideas to the conversation and help us shape the future skills development provisions for medicines manufacturing.

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