Accenture and NIBRT Announce Collaboration To Speed Up Production Of Life-Saving Medicines

Accenture and the National Institute for Bioprocessing Research and Training (NIBRT) will launch a new research collaboration that expedites global production of life-saving treatments and medicines.  

The new “Biotech Digital Twin” project will be supported by Accenture resources including two new life sciences jobs as well as funding from both Accenture and Enterprise Ireland. The project will create a digital twin, or virtual representation, that will serve as a real-time digital counterpart of the biology of the manufacturing process. The project team will then compare the results from the computer simulated experiments to those in the real world, at NIBRT’s state-of-the-art laboratories, to determine the accuracy of the biology of the digital twin and work to continuously improve the model.  

Darrin Morrissey, Chief Executive Officer, National Institute for Bioprocessing Research and Training, Ireland, said, “NIBRT is delighted to have the opportunity to collaborate with Accenture on this ground-breaking project. This unique partnership will bring together internationally recognised experts in cell biology, statistical modelling and digital simulation to create a new computational platform to guide process development and the rational design of cellular factories. The findings from this work have the potential to further streamline biopharmaceutical manufacturing, increase speed to market and ultimately deliver lifesaving medicines to patients more efficiently and cost effectively.” 

Alastair Blair, country managing director, Accenture in Ireland, said, “The life sciences industry is rapidly transforming with scientific breakthroughs occurring at speed. Supporting research and development in this highly complex industry will enable us to create extraordinary changes in health outcomes that will positively affect our society. We are incredibly excited about future opportunities and advancements that can only be achieved through deep collaborations like this, allowing us to deliver on the promise of technology and human ingenuity.” 

The global pharma industry is undergoing a rapid pace of change, not least due to the impact of the pandemic. The old ways of working – entering clinical trials, the long wait for positive results, commencing manufacturing and then scaling up – have become unsustainable in the present day. The “Biotech Digital Twin” project aims to revolutionise how scientific and laboratory processes are conducted.

Accenture’s latest collaboration follows the announcement of 500 new roles earlier this year, the majority of which will be based at Accenture’s Munster life sciences hub. The regional hub supports the growth of Accenture’s existing capability at Enterprise System Partners (ESP), a consulting and manufacturing services provider for the life sciences industry which Accenture acquired in 2019 and which is located in Cork, serving clients around the globe.   

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