RESEARCH REPORT
Technology Vision 2023 for Biopharma
A defining moment for innovation: New waves of digital-physical convergence fuel science, transformative patient outcomes and sustainable growth.
10-MINUTE READ
August 1, 2023
In brief
- Science and technology are converging, experiments are moving from wet labs to computers, fueling new sustainable growth opportunities with AI-led discovery.
- Generative AI is stimulating and disrupting work as we know it – nearly 40% of life sciences work hours will be impacted.
- Deeper connections between our digital and physical worlds highlight four tech trends that are generating emerging practices and new growth possibilities.
Revealing new limits.
Working in human+machine mode, we see the biopharma industry driving innovation beyond today's boundaries. In Accenture’s Technology Vision 2023 for Biopharma, we explore how 4 tech trends are shaping new and different ways of operating, collaborating and innovating.
We believe the time has come to further blur the lines and welcome the next wave of innovation and business transformation in biopharma.
Our forever frontier: The big bang of computing and science
Science and technology convergence is bringing forth a step change in the speed of innovation and further enabling novel biology and new science. Computing power available today is allowing scientific experimentation that was once impossible in a physical setting. The potential has private and public biopharma players taking notice.
In the past five years, total investment in AI-mediated drug discovery has experienced a CAGR of 8% and closed 2022 with a total of $2.5 billion worth of investment. In addition, biopharma invested over $1 billion in upfront payments through collaborations with AI companies. The potential value of these investments is estimated at $45 billion. This demonstrates the growing importance of AI/ML-enabled drug discovery and development.
Computing and science in action
Zero-shot GenAI is the process of designing antibodies to bind to specific targets without using any training data – producing antibody designs that are not found in existing databases. In fact, GenAI-based antibody binders are being observed with higher naturalness scores than known therapeutic antibodies and antibodies found in humans and animals.
Zero-shot GenAI not only improves development speed, but the antibodies discovered have a higher likelihood of real-world success since optimal parameters are used in their design.
Generalizing AI: The radical edges and possibilities of intelligence
Generalizing AI explores a category of AI spurred on by foundation models and large language models (LLMs). This includes Generative AI (GenAI). Reimagining the future of the industry with GenAI means identifying better candidates, delivering higher quality products faster, and boosting sales and patient experiences, all with greater equity and sustainability.
GenAI is already being used to design antibodies in silico, predict protein structures, generate digital marketing content and improve production planning. Ninety-eight percent of biopharma executives agree that advancements like GPT-4 GenAI are ushering in a new era of enterprise intelligence and are either very or extremely inspired by new capabilities.
We asked biopharma executives about the major benefits they anticipate from the use of AI foundation models.
70%
expect faster decision making
63%
expect better customer experiences
60%
expect better internal and external communications
55%
expect accelerated innovation
GenAI in action
To create new sources of value by harnessing the power of GenAI, companies must reinvent ways of working. It begins with a business-driven mindset and building a talent pipeline that leverages AI while defining new roles. Accenture research reveals that nearly 40% of life sciences work hours will be affected by GenAI. Our recent analysis of the impact of GenAI on the US workforce highlights which roles biopharma companies can further automate vs. augment.
Your data, my data, our data: The lifeblood of innovation
Data transparency is quickly becoming a precious resource for biopharma companies looking to lead change. Supply and demand for data across the life sciences ecosystem is increasing to help drive faster, smarter decision-making.
There are untapped opportunities for stronger collaboration and data sharing. It’s time to rethink data collection and architecture design to begin exposing the data that matters. Leaders have an incredible opportunity to derive new insights and build trust with partners and customers by proactively becoming more transparent – or risk having someone else do it for them.
92%
of biopharma executives say data transparency is becoming a competitive differentiator.
over 40%
agree that greater trust with customers, partners and employees are significant benefits of greater data transparency.
97%
say new data architectures and strategies are needed to manage dramatic changes to their organizations’ data landscapes.
Your data, my data, our data in action
In research, federated drug discovery using vast molecule sets from multiple sources can expedite the drug discovery process. Demand forecasting powered by shared real-world data can anticipate supply chain requirements, reducing wastage. Shared data can enrich marketing strategies and sales predictions and enhance engagement by analyzing user needs.
Digital Identity: ID for everyone and everything
Digital identity is the quiet catalyst of this next era of innovation. Digital identities will enable secure data sharing, seamless application of AI and new and better science – supporting the discovery of patient-driven, precision therapies with greater speed.
Initially, it simply enabled controlled access. Now, it’s imperative that we reboot digital identity and seamlessly assign it to individuals and objects. The trust-creating significance is apparent when onboarding individuals to clinical trials, monitoring personalized medicine, and facilitating patient journeys. It would be difficult to complete these crucial functions without trusted identity. Digital identify also helps promote closer collaboration among industry players during early discovery phases, and presents monetization opportunities such as licensing fees, further emphasizing its value.
90%
of biopharma executives agree that digital identity isn’t just a technical matter – it’s a strategic business imperative.
92%
agree that their organizations need more systematic ways to manage emerging technology responsibly.
75%
agree customer identity authentication issues are negatively impacting their bottom line.
93%
agree that changes constricting third-party tracking data are impacting their organization’s customer engagement.
Digital identity in action
Tokenization (the process of creating an immutable, functional identity for anything, physical, digital, unique or not; often stored on a blockchain) is a leading way that enterprises are innovating around identity. Ninety-eight percent of biopharma executives indicated their organizations are innovating around digital identity via tokenization. Once created, those identities can enable enterprises to trace medical technology or pharmaceuticals throughout the supply chain, enabling both patient safety and regulatory use cases.
Taking action starts with a tech mindset
Science and technology convergence is affecting the entire biopharma value chain – portfolio, operations, talent, commercialization, ecosystem partnering and competitive positioning. To remain competitive, companies must embrace a strategy of continuous reinvention and build their digital core. Harnessing technology is not a partial solution. It is your partner in redefining the boundaries of innovation to deliver better patient treatments, faster, and generate new, sustainable growth.