We caught up with Dave Mullins from Emerson Automation Solutions, to learn about the impact of Covid-19 on project implementation and digital adoption in the Life Sciences.
Has Covid-19 had an effect on projects and how busy the marketplace is in Manufacturing Information Systems?
The market is exceptionally busy right now due to a push to increase vaccine manufacturing capacity globally, as well as a number of projects now in design and construction due to delays during lockdowns. In Ireland, Emerson are supporting a number of significant projects – new biotech manufacturing facilities, system replacements and upgrades as well as process development and commercial scale up facilities being built. At a European level we are seeing a large number of projects currently underway to build vaccine facilities across many countries, which is good news for the Life Science sector as a whole which promises to remain extremely buoyant over the next 24 months.
Do you see a change in the type of projects and technologies being employed by clients?
Both IoT and DT are key elements in the Life Science industry. We are actively working with several Biotech customers who are now well on their way to a Digital Transformation (DT). This is a result of a push to get products to market faster and the need for better yields and enhanced product quality. The ever-increasing sea of data allied to improved process modelling is leading to digital twins and increased possibilities for scale up, optimisation and reduced time to market.
Has remote working led to changes in how projects are implemented and systems will be supported in the future?
Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, a lot of our customers are embracing the working from home model. This has certainly opened up new possibilities, particularly in delivering new projects. Remote support of systems is also a real possibility, but needs to be balanced by issues like Cybersecurity. While lots of discussions can take place remotely, there will always remain the need for individuals on-site building relationships with the customer to get the right information at the right time to develop and deliver successful solutions to their complex challenges.
Want to learn more about what’s happening in Life Science Automation?
LSC are partnering with Emerson in Ireland to resource the expansion of their Life Science projects teams and staff. To catch up on the latest automation trends in the Life Sciences or the latest opportunities for Automation Engineers get in touch with Emerson’s contact at LSC.
Paul O’ Driscoll
Technical Resourcer – Specialising in Automation & CSV