How Life Sciences Manufacturers are Scaling Smarter

Life science manufacturers are investing in expanded production capacity while rethinking facility design and technology strategies to improve efficiency, manage costs, and prepare for the future. Balancing upfront investments with long-term operating costs, while navigating the opportunities of automation, single-use technologies and AI, is becoming an increasingly important part of manufacturing decisions.

In this episode of Off Script, we spoke with Peter Walters, fellow of advanced therapies at CRB and a co-author of the company's Horizons: Life Sciences 2026 report, about some key findings from the report. The conversation explored how manufacturers are weighing technology investments against potential cost savings and designing facilities for greater flexibility and efficiency. Walters also discussed how manufacturing strategies may differ across modalities, where AI could have the greatest impact, and why phased implementation, human oversight and careful planning remain important as companies adopt new technologies.