JUAN JOSÉ ALBA
Life Sciences Business Development Manager at Altran Spain/
ISPE YP Spain Committee Member, Spain

Abstract

Smart Manufacturing”, “Advanced Manufacturing”, “Connected Factory”, “Factory of the Future” are some of the concepts that have arisen the past years. Industry 4.0 seems to be the concept that finally designs the 21st Century Industrial Revolution

Since I work for a consultancy firm, I am able to talk to many different Managers and Directors from different companies with different business models amongst the pharma sector. Many times, specially lately, it seems that this concept, Industry 4.0, starts to get noisier inside the current pharma leaders heads. It seems that 4.0 has finally draw their attention. In this moment, some questions arise, “what is it?”, “do I need it”?, “do I need it so much”?, “do I become 4.0 by implementing robots in my facilities?”, “would the robots substitute my direct HHRR?”… and so on. Let’s try to answer some of this questions in the following lines.

"Study the past if you would define the future. – Confucius (551 –  479 b.C)"

WHAT DOES “INDUSTRY 4.0” MEANS?

This concept is not revolutionary by itself, its core is the core of the Industry since the first Industrial Revolution: to be more efficient, to reach excellency.

The First Industrial Revolution took place in the early 18^th Century. It was the first time that hand production methods were substitut ...