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Indian pharma industry is fuelling the emergence of smart factories with the adoption of Industry 4.0. The implementation of connected and intelligent digital technologies allows smart factories to increase productivity, profitability, compliance, and adherence to stringent delivery time lines.
The digital manufacturing industry is growing and is expected to reach $767.82 billion by 2025. India, among other countries, views manufacturing as vital to the country’s digital transformation strategy. With smart factories re-imagining manufacturing jobs, there is a growing need for candidates with know-how on emerging technologies to lead the digital transformation in the sector, according to Indian Institute of Science.
Rapid advancement of personalized medicines based on next-generation therapeutics, growing interest in continuous processing is much desired. There is a need for new and existing therapies to reach the market faster for patients and for more effective utilization of manufacturing capabilities and this is how the pharma market is placed, stated Narayana Rao Rapolu, vice president, biopharma production, AMEA, Avantor.
As the transformation of biopharmaceutical manufacturing continues, manufacturers and raw material suppliers are entering the frontier of ‘biopharma 4.0’ where artificial intelligence (AI), big data and smart systems are being leveraged to help transform the business model. The role of automation has been enhanced with the challenges rising in the industry due to the pandemic, with the potential to transform processes and enhance overall performance, resulting in faster and more cost-efficient operations, said Rapolu.
Harish K Jain, president, Karnataka Drugs and Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association (KDPMA) and director, Embiotic Labs said that pharmaceutical manufacturing has always been technology driven and has seen constant upgradation. Some of the recent advances have been all directed towards achieving automation and batch to batch predictable & consistent product quality. In this direction some of the techniques which have been used are Machine learning, AI and remote monitoring of systems and processes. With imminent introduction of 5G, revolutionary changes are expected. Another area which has seen tremendous interest is due to requirement of bio equivalence. Micronization, nanotechnology, co-crystallization, lyophilization etc. are some of the techniques now routinely employed to achieve value added bulk drugs.
The development of smart sensors has given manufacturers maximize from connectivity and data collection. Smart sensors enable manufacturers to monitor, control, and improve operations. It can also predict equipment failure and trigger maintenance protocols, automatically log data, and increase the speed of the flow of information, with real-time information, he added.
Now the real-time information about equipment availability, calibration, and utilization provided by the IoT solution can help manufacturing teams make better decisions, optimize equipment performance, reduce machine downtime, and improve resource allocation. This is where the IISc is offering a Post Graduate Level Advanced Certification Programme in Digital Manufacturing and Smart Factories which aims to build an ecosystem of such professionals. It is a 5-month programme coordinated by the Centre for Product Design and Manufacturing (CPDM), a research and technology-intensive design and manufacturing department at IISc. The programme is delivered in an experiential learning format comprising Masterclass Lectures, Lab exercises using Comprehensive Digital Tools and Project implementation at the IISc Smart Factory Labs.
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