10 Key Takeaways from ISPE Boston

On Wednesday, October 18, 2017, the ISPE (International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering) Boston Chapter held its annual product show at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts. Overall, the event is a great experience for end users, suppliers, equipment manufacturers, and others interested in learning more about the pharmaceutical and biotech products, services and other technologies. Over 3,300 attendees at the ISPE Boston product show had an opportunity to see new products and technologies from over 350 suppliers, demonstrating the robust nature of the growing pharma and biotech industries.

ISPE Boston Attendees Learn about the Latest Products and Solutions Source: Michael Doherty

The ISPE Boston Chapter has been sponsoring this event for over 25 years and starting from the very first event (held at what was then a Howard Johnsons Hotel in Cambridge) to the multi-faceted event it is today, it seems to get better and better every year.

While the first few events held had been excellent, they couldn’t hold a candle to the multi-faceted event that ISPE Boston runs today. Over 3,300 people attended, mostly from the New England Area, but the event also drew product and service suppliers, attendees, and world-class presenters from all over the country.

Key Takeaways and Trends include

• Pharma and biotech industries are growing in the area – attracted by the wealth of area knowledge from the many universities and industry.
• We’re seeing a lot of construction in the Boston, Cambridge, and surrounding areas for the pharma and biotech industries.
• Projects need to progress faster from pilots, to clinical tests, to production to reduce tech transfer requirements and costs.
• New personalized medicines and biosimilars will increase demand for new products.
• Regulations continue to impact pharma and biotech industries heavily, with quality by design (QbD) still at the forefront.
• The event featured a plethora of new sensors, flowmeters, analyzers and instruments with more sophisticated analysis capabilities of automation still exist, including many disconnected skid-mounted units. Connected plants remain the exception, rather than the rule.
• Pharma innovation still focuses on new products and product quality, as opposed to innovative ways to manufacture products. 
• We’re just starting to see selected batch processes being converted to continuous processes and most plants are only consolidating and integrating some upstream or downstream processes. 
• Modern manufacturing technologies like virtual and augmented reality and analytics are just beginning to emerge in these industries. 

The annual ISPE Boston event provided industry professionals from across New England (and beyond) with an excellent opportunity to see and learn about some of the latest technologies, solutions, and approaches in pharma and biotech, gain new perspectives on rapidly evolving industry regulations, and network with their peers.

If you’re involved in the dynamic, exciting, and rapidly expanding pharma or biotech industries in the Boston area, ARC recommends that you add this event to your calendar for 2018. ISPE Boston 2018 will once again return to Gillette Stadium in Foxboro on Wednesday, September 26, 2018.