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Automation Engineer: Pharma's Game-Changing Force

Amy Baxter our consultant managing the role
Posted by Amy Baxter
Published on 15 June 2023

The pharmaceutical sector can be a complex and difficult space to master. Tasked with catering to the health needs of diverse populations, all with varied afflictions, the industry must also meet strict regulations and adhere to compliance standards. But this is where the role of automation engineering in the pharmaceutical sector is making a difference. 

Pharmaceutical and life sciences companies are increasingly using robotic systems to boost the production capabilities of medical devices, drugs, and therapies. In fact, this technology plays a pivotal role in improving the overall efficiency of several processes by automating parts of systems to work independently – sometimes without the need for any human intervention. 

So, if you’re an automation engineer or are drawn to this career path, know that you will be contributing to better healthcare for all! But let’s dig deeper...

How, exactly, is automation engineering changing the pharmaceutical industry? 

We’ll share four valid ways:

How Automation Engineering Is Changing The Pharmaceutical Industry

It reduces operational costs

When processes within a company are automated, unnecessary costs are spared. 

For example, fewer labourers may be required, less equipment may be needed, and fewer hours may need to be accounted for. 

These lower operational costs enable lower prices. This keeps consumers happy, but it also means that pharma companies now have disposable income that can be used to expand their services and the job market for professionals. 

The more life sciences professionals we have navigating the path of healthcare, the more outstanding the innovations will be! 


It improves data efficiency

Robots and AI leave little to no room for human error, especially concerning data inputs and patterns. 

These improved data-handling methods increase the efficiency of pharmaceutical studies, product development, and product delivery. It can also enhance speed-to-market, which, in turn, reduces the market price of the deliverables. 


It improves productivity

As the demand for new drugs and medical devices increases, the pharma industry continues to search for new ways to boost productivity. 

Due to the high attrition rates in drug development, there is increasing pressure in the pharmaceutical industries to increase productivity, and we have seen significant improvements in recent years thanks to the help of automation engineering. 

Robots and AI programs offer many benefits in this regard as they:

  • Require less space to perform

  • Reduce production downtime

  • Don’t require labour turnover

  • Enhance safety in the workplace

  • It can be programmed for better waste management

  • Are generally more flexible than human workers

  • Improve production output and quality (there’s little room for error).


We’ll see exponential growth in personalised medicines

As the world continues to diversify, a one-size-fits-all approach to medicine is becoming obsolete, and more patients are leaning towards the innovation of personalised medicine. 

In the past, this demand could not be easily met, but with advancements in automation engineering, it’s become more possible to make personalised medicine commercially viable.  

This is because modern, automated, high-throughput screening allows scientists to access huge amounts of data with minimal manual interaction. As a result, costs are kept low, and outputs are accelerated.  

The personalised medicine market is set to reach US$ 5.7 Trillion by 2030!


Ready to take your career to the next level?

If you want to kickstart a job in automation engineering or take the next step in your career, allow Quanta to be of service! 

Our team has been providing recruitment solutions since 1992, and we are familiar with the needs and complexities of the technology and life sciences sectors. 

We’ve also made it our mission to pair the best candidates with the best roles so that we can be key players in helping to address global concerns.  

Find your next automation engineer role by browsing our automation engineering and life sciences jobs

Looking for more helpful articles? Read our post, “Your checklist before applying for your next life sciences job.”