Pharma-Bio Modular Facilities, Prefab Equipment Gain Traction

Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--Conventional pharmaceutical and biotech manufacturing facilities are very capital intensive and have prolonged construction timelines. These brick-and-mortar facilities contain built-in operating equipment anchored into the facility's substructure, requiring major renovation costs and construction timelines.

Modular facilities also predominately involve brick-and-mortar construction, with all major utilities embedded in the building's infrastructure. However, operating equipment is prefabricated offsite, with skid-mounted platforms subsequently integrated into the facility. The skid-mounted platforms enable reconfiguration and equipment updates without the costs and time constraints of major renovations required by conventional facilities.

Major benefits of modular equipment/assets include:

• Lower onsite project complexity
• Shorter timelines through the application of parallel vs. sequential construction practices
• Reduced financial risk since investment decisions can be made based on current needs, with expansion predicated on evolving capacity demands
• Mitigation of obsolescence through the use of assets that can be repurposed
• Staged launch: Launch production at a fraction of the peak market forecast is possible since scale-out through facility replication or conventional tech transfer to a brick and mortar facility can be invoked as the demand grows

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the need for the North American Pharma/Bio manufacturing sector to reshore production and produce drugs expeditiously at the best prices. Customers want the product quickly at the lowest cost. This is particularly true when contract manufacturing organizations (CMOs) are used.

Industrial Info is tracking 43 active North American capital projects, with a total investment value of $3.93 billion, that incorporate modular technology. Subscribers to Industrial Info's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Pharmaceutical & Biotech Project Database can click here for a list of detailed project reports.

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