Pharma logistics experts and international academics from 50 companies and 5 world-renowned universities are exploring the most important aspects of their business by exchanging academic knowledge and industry expertise at the International Pharma Logistics Masterclass in Abu Dhabi. The 5-day event brings together industry professionals representing pharma supply and manufacturing companies, international universities and government authorities from the United Arab Emirates.

Ruud van der Geer, Associate Director Supply Chain Management EMEA at MSD was the Co-chair of the day.

“It was an interesting first day. We are uses to talk business to business with our industry, but for me is the first time I am meeting with academics. It is interesting to hear their view on what they see in the business as developments, in the digital space, in the data connection space, and what we should be doing versus and what I feel operationally is feasible. And I can see there is a discrepancy between the academic view on pharma logistics and the pharma view, an operational view on what we should be doing.”

Here are the highlights of day 1

• Data as Value Driver for the Future Pharma Supply Chain
• Need for a better digital mindset inducing increased data quality which drives the necessary basics for predictive data models
• Supply chain data can drive human behaviour analytics
• Need for a digital twinning model to strengthen predictive analysis and decision-making policies
• Machines can be trained but human input for decisions will be needed digital training is key to success
• Focus on classic supply chain needs to change to a full ecosystem model to include all flows
• Meaningful insights into the real-time data availability, data utilisation and data resilience
• Opportunity to convert underutilized available data to real-life solutions
• Mixed perceptions on the relationship between the role of humans, AI and ML
• Classification and composition of data tower and its applications
• Understanding the principles of digital twin and its applications

Ruud van der Geer, Associate Director Supply Chain Management EMEA at MSD:

“For me, personally, the highlight of the first day was listening to Professor Ernesto Damiani talking about the information flow that goes two ways, while the material flow goes one way. It made me think… Can we use the data to bring back materials from a pharmacy to the wholesaler or from a wholesaler to a manufacturer and redistribute it?  For me that was an eye opener, so we need to start thinking of smarter way of using data in a material flow.”

The International Pharma Logistics Masterclass curriculum is built on an innovative concept that combines academic insights with industry expertise around sustainability, disruptive technologies, big data, agility, innovation, digitalization, multimodality, and emergency logistics:

Day 2 | Setting your Future Supply Chain Strategy by Economic Modelling
Day 3 | Pack and Go: How Innovative Packaging and Cool Chain Innovation Will Support the Future Healthcare Mode
Day 4 | When the Exception Turns into Standard: Emergency and Crisis Pharma Logistics
Day 5 | Sustainable Pharma Supply Chain Models:  How Transport Modes Intertwine