Emerging product-process archetypes in oncology: informing the sustainable provision of next-generation medicines

The emergence of more targeted molecular therapies has contributed to accelerated growth within the oncology market. Projected to become the leading therapeutic area by 2017, forecast spends are expected to be in the range of $74-84 billion. Coupled with its many specificities around pricing, insurance implications, and ethics, we argue that the oncology segment may best inform future pharmaceutical value network design characteristics - in supporting the sustainable manufacture and supply of next-generation medicines. Through exploration of future state scenarios and opportunities areas, driven by the adoption of emerging process and digital technologies, a base framework is extended to enable a systematic assessment of a series of candidates representative of the wider oncology market. These include niche, low volume drugs on-patent with high QALYs (quality-adjusted life years), through to higher volume generics with a history of supply shortages. A series of emerging product-process ‘archetypes’ in oncology are proposed – classified as ‘New Niche’, ‘Old Niche’ and ‘Established Generics’ – with associated models for reconfiguration, based on the clustering of potential supply benefits. A key application of this systems approach is the potential of informing economies of drug ‘repurposing’, through its extension from commercial to drug discovery, development and clinical trial contexts, and in matching emerging process capabilities to future adaptive supply requirements – for the sustainable provision of next-generation medicines

Deglobalization, Reconfiguration, or Business as Usual? COVID-19 and the limits of reshoring of globalized production

The COVID-19 pandemic has seemingly reinforced the need for geographic restructuring and a rehoring of production, as it has demonstrated the vulnerability of globalized production. This article provides an assessment of the impact of COVID-19 on the geographies of production, looking particularly at developments in the automotive, electronics, and clothing industries. Criticizing overly simplified prospects for deglobalization, we argue that the COVID-19 pandemic cannot be interpreted as a trigger for a general retreat from global manufacturing but rather as an event that is reinforcing long-standing shifts toward more multipolar production and consumption. While the issue of global production network resilience has attracted great attention in corporate strategies and industrial policies, re- or nearshoring of production networks is only one of several strategies and it has hardly been implemented so far. Ongoing disruptions and, above all, geoeconomically/-politically and environmentally motivated policies could well lead to a shift in investment and sourcing patterns. Political efforts in this direction are, however, limited by pre-existing global economic development paths and the balance of power associated with them

New horizons for productive transformation in the Andina Region

En cubierta: Growth and productive transition agendaBibliografía: p. 118-129Las economías desarrolladas y emergentes, así como el contexto internacional dentro del cual interactúan, han enfrentado eventos que vienen transformando estructuralmente sus procesos de producción. El cambio climático, la digitalización y la pandemia del COVID-19 están generando grandes cambios en el mundo. La estructura productiva de los países andinos está siendo afectada por estas tendencias. Dada esta coyuntura, urge tomar decisiones sobre políticas para afrontar esta situación pues, de no hacerlo, habría serias consecuencias sobre el ingreso de los países andinos. Existen muchos sectores que han sido afectados y también beneficiados por la pandemia. Resulta fundamental atender los desafíos del sector agrícola, especialmente aquellos relacionados con su baja productividad. Cabe señalar que, a pesar del entorno, este sector ha crecido. El reposicionamiento de las cadenas globales de valor destaca las oportunidades no aprovechadas por la región andina. Además, el sector servicios, principal empleador de las economías andinas, fue impactado fuertemente por la pandemia. Por otro lado, el sector extractivo ya presentaba retos importantes, aun antes de este proceso de transformación. Esto ocurre en un contexto donde, pese a su crecimiento, la digitalización sigue teniendo grandes rezagos. Más aún, la región se ha caracterizado por presentar retos de desigualdad, que representan un desafío adicional de una transición que va a tener impactos sociales considerables. Este contexto abre oportunidades para la región, pero exige un importante esfuerzo de coordinación de políticas públicas. La región tiene la tarea de diversificarse. Esta publicación presenta recomendaciones al respecto. Al revisar los sectores antes mencionados, resulta fundamental atender los desafíos del sector agrícola, en particular los relacionados con su baja productividad. Existen oportunidades para integrarse a las cadenas globales de valor, pero los países andinos deberán hacer un mejor uso de los tratados comerciales existentes, buscando reducir costos para el comercio. Cabe mencionar que la región tiene espacio para aprovechar las transformaciones que están ocurriendo en el sector servicios. Finalmente, pese a existir desafíos importantes para el sector de industrias extractivas, también se presentan oportunidades para aprovechar este sector como palanca para la transformación productiva. Para lograrlo, es necesario promover la digitalización empresarial y facilitar a las empresas la decisión de qué tecnologías digitales implementar y cómo hacerlo. Cualquier estrategia de transformación productiva debe generar oportunidades para la población. Por tanto, es necesario considerar que el fomentar sectores de la economía más diversos e inclusivos no solo es más equitativo y justo, también es más rentable

How supply chain management can contribute to European integration?

The author wants to discuss how the dynamics of global value chains and the implementation of the concept of Supply Chain Management impact the process of European Integration. Not only the Economic Integration. He wants to explicate that and how this impact goes further into the domains of social and even cultural integration. While Value Chain research has a strong economic focus, including international trade and developing countries issues (Kaplinsky, 2004), Supply Chain Management, SCM is focused on the individual company level, vertical co-operation and corporate strategy. Both perspectives are inseparably intertwined. However, with the following reflections he wants to emphasise the inter-company perspective of SCM. In explicating the conceptual alternatives of SCM, SC Governance and their dynamics in a general way, he wants to lay the groundwork for the final conclusions regarding the potential impacts of SCM on European Integration

A Multi-Actor Literature Review on Alternative and Sustainable Food Systems for the Promotion of Cereal Biodiversity

Organic and low-input food systems are emerging worldwide in answer to the sustainability crisis of the conventional agri-food sector. “Alternative” systems are based on local, decentralized approaches to production and processing, regarding quality and health, and short supply-chains for products with strong local identities. Diversity is deeply embedded in these food systems, from the agrobiodiversity grown in farmers’ fields, which improves resilience and adaptation, to diverse approaches, contexts and actors in food manufacturing and marketing. Diversity thus becomes a cross-sectoral issue which acknowledges consumers’ demand for healthy products. In the framework of the European project “CERERE, CEreal REnaissance in Rural Europe: embedding diversity in organic and low-input food systems”, the paper aims at reviewing recent research on alternative and sustainable food systems by adopting an innovative and participatory multi-actor approach; this has involved ten practitioners and twenty-two researchers from across Europe and a variety of technical backgrounds in the paper and analysis stages. The participatory approach is the main innovation and distinctive feature of this literature review. Partners selected indeed what they perceived as most relevant in order to facilitate a transition towards more sustainable and diversity based cereal systems and food chains. This includes issues related to alternative food networks, formal and informal institutional settings, grass root initiatives, consumer involvement and, finally, knowledge exchange and sustainability. The review provides an overview of recent research that is relevant to CERERE partners as well as to anyone interested in alternative and sustainable food systems. The main objective of this paper was indeed to present a narrative of studies, which can form the foundation for future applied research to promote alternative methods of cereal production in Europe.Peer reviewe

Dynamic Analysis for Enterprise Strategic Flexibility using System Engineering Methodology

From a system thinking perspective, the competition / cooperation boundaries govern the evolution of a firm\u27s adaptive strategic behaviour and drive it towards its desired objectives. Strategic flexibility is considered a sustainability advantage in today\u27s global competitive environment. This study explores the strategic flexibility capability that fits with the market requirement and the degree of competition it faces in its market(s). After exploring the link between the manufacturing objectives and their effect on the total industry performance in terms of profitability, product availability and capacity utilization, this study quantify the strategic effect of applying five different strategies on the enterprise strategic flexibility capability. By modeling and analyzing different scenarios using a system dynamic simulation approach and considering the market competitive dynamics, this model introduces the volume flexibility as a macro strategic measure that affects the firm\u27s intended production capacity. The effect of enterprise volume flexibility on its market share is studied and reported. The research explored how operations management theory on volume flexibility can be linked to the dynamic capability theory to develop new macro measures for the enterprise manufacturing strategy. Results show that matching between the firm capabilities and its external environment is a critical factor for organizational success. While the intense of competition govern the product life cycle duration and rate of change, success level is proportional to the competitor simultaneous actions and reactions and the effect differs from market to another. Results show that different product life cycle affects the industry speed and that may change the wining strategies adopted by the competing firms. As a result there are no ultimate right strategies for firms to follow. While tradeoffs between flexibility and cost are confirmed, the competitive advantage occurs when it is unique to the company and matches with the market variables for limited time. In conclusion, for industrial organization to achieve high productivity, efficiency and maximum utilization rate they need to select from a wide range of strategic capabilities rather than concentrating on a single capability or process to match the requirements of the external environment with responsive rate that matches the industry clock speed