IoT To The Rescue For Biotech And Pharma Manufacturing

By Craig Correia

The Internet of Things (IoT) could not be timelier for biotech/pharma. With fierce cost pressures, the push for value-based outcomes, and the need for flexible manufacturing solutions, the IoT is the much needed shot in the arm to bring about transformational change.

Sensors, actuators, and devices (“things”) embedded in production equipment and networked through computer systems can generate an enormous amount of data. The data can be mined for insights and opportunities to drive production efficiency, automate monitoring and controlling functions, and enable flexible manufacturing systems.

Intelligent apps and software are central components of an IoT system. They allow the “things” in the system to communicate with one another and to initiate or execute processes with less operator intervention. In this new world, machines predict failure and trigger maintenance processes autonomously. Software modules, analysis, and combinational logic make functional integration possible. Software automatically adjusts machinery if it detects a measurement has deviated from acceptable ranges.