As Europe advances toward the era of Health Industry 5.0, the pharmaceutical and biomanufacturing sectors are emerging as key players in shaping a more innovative, resilient, and people-centred healthcare ecosystem. While policy reform and technological advancements are crucial drivers of this transformation, the real catalyst lies in the development of a skilled and adaptable workforce.To fully harness the potential of this transition, there is an urgent need to invest in reskilling and upskilling initiatives that can empower workers to meet the evolving demands of these industries.
Europe’s pharmaceutical industry has been a cornerstone of the continent’s economy and acatalyst for scientific progress. In 2021 alone, it generated over €131 billion in Gross Value Added (GVA), positioning Europe as the world’s second-largest pharmaceutical market. Beyond its economic impact, the sector is a global leader in innovation, accounting for over 21% of all EU industrial R&D investment. This commitment to scientific excellence translates into real-world benefits, from more effective treatments to improved public health outcomes, particularly for outcomes, for a wider range of patients across geographies. 1,2
Europe’s biotech and biomanufacturing sectors are internationally recognised for their excellence in scientific research, high-quality standards, and innovation potential. The sector is home to more than 2,400 biotech SMEs, underscoring its critical role in advancing global biologics and bio similar development3. This leadership is reinforced by a strong regulatory framework that includes rigorous quality assurance systems such as GoodManufacturing Practices (GMP) and certification schemes, which help maintain global confidence in European pharmaceutical production,3.
To build on this foundation, the newly anticipated EU Biotech Act is designed to accelerate innovation and ensure that the sector’s workforce evolves along side emerging technologies—including bioprocessing, automation, and artificial intelligence. By aligning policy, innovation, and skills development, Europe is positioning itself at the forefront of a modern, resilient, and competitive biomanufacturing ecosystem4.
“With the increasing focus on (bio)pharmaceutical supply chain resilience, digitalisation and environmental practices, it is essential to put skills at the center of the European Strategy. Having the people with the right skills in the right position is the condition for any company to deliver.Beyond the current private corporate retention strategies, we are committed to help shape a comprehensive and unifying EU up-skilling and re-skilling strategy to accelerate the modernisation of the sector, close the skill gaps and reinforce EU competitiveness.” - Julie Maréchal-Jamil, Senior Director Pharmaceutical Policy, Medicines for Europe
As sustainability becomes a defining challenge of the 21st century, the pharmaceutical and biomanufacturing sectors are under growing pressure to reduce their environmental footprint5. The forthcoming reforms of the EU Pharmaceutical Legislation and the Critical Medicines Alliance Strategic Report highlight the increasing demand for green chemistry, circular economy principles, and transparent environmental data reporting across the supply chain6,7.
This evolving regulatory landscape is already prompting companies to adopt eco-friendly production methods, reduce emissions, and enhance waste management. However, such changes cannot be realised without the parallel investment in workforces’ skillsets.Workers need to be upskilled in environmental compliance, sustainable manufacturing techniques, and digital process monitoring to support a seamless green transition. Initiatives like the Circular Bio-Based Europe JointUndertaking (CBE JU) are beginning to address this gap by funding vocational training and interdisciplinary programmes aligned with Europe’s bioeconomy and decarbonisation goals8.
Europe's heavy reliance on outsourced pharmaceutical manufacturing—particularly for ActivePharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) (60–80% sourced from India and China) —has created strategic vulnerabilities. The COVID-19 pandemic exposed these risks, leading to widespread medicine shortages. This dependency not only underminesEurope's ability to respond swiftly to public health crises but also erodes domestic manufacturing capacity. Addressing this issue necessitates targeted investments in workforce development to rebuild local production and ensure a skilled talent pool capable of supporting advanced, compliant, and sustainable pharmaceutical manufacturing9, 10.
The vision of Health Industry 5.0, as articulated in the Draghi Report and CEDEFOP’s foresight analyses, calls for a people-focused, inclusive, and sustainable healthcare and industrial model. This goes beyond digital and green transformation and emphasise the integration of ethics, environmental stewardship, and social justice into the industrial strategy. Realising this vision requires a workforce transformation centred on digital fluency in both pharmaceutical anAI fields, and the capacity to work across disciplines, linking clinical practice, engineering, regulation, and policymaking 11, 12.
Achieving the goals of Health Industry 5.0 requires more than policy—it demands practical, inclusive action. The BRIGHTskills project, within the Large-ScalePartnership for the Health Industry, plays a key role in translating strategies into actions. By offering adaptable training for the pharmaceutical and biomanufacturing workforce, BRIGHTskills helps workers navigate digital, regulatory, and sustainability challenges.
Building the workforce of tomorrow is essential to a sustainable, competitive, andinclusive health industry. A healthy Europe starts with a skilled Europe!
1. The economic impact of the Pharmaceutical industry in Europe
2. Outsourcing update: the latest developments in pharma
3. Biotech is a key driver for a strong and united Europe
4. Building the future with nature: Boosting Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing in the EU
5. Strategies for Sustainability in the Global Pharmaceutical Supply Chain
6. Pharmaceutical Strategy for Europe
7. Strategic Report of the Critical Medicines Alliance
8. Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking (CBE JU)
11. https://commission.europa.eu/topics/eu-competitiveness/draghi-report_en
12. CEDEFOP (2020), Empowering adults through upskilling and reskilling pathways
