Spotted on Both Coasts: Pharma MES + DCAT Week

What Is Pharma MES?

Pharma MES is an annual conference held in San Diego that brings together experts in the pharmaceutical manufacturing industry to discuss the latest trends and innovations in manufacturing execution systems (MES).

The event is attended by professionals from various fields, including pharmaceutical manufacturing, information technology, engineering, and quality assurance.

Pharma MES is chock-full of presentations, panel discussions, and workshops led by industry leaders and experts. The sessions cover a range of topics, from the implementation of MES systems to quality assurance, regulatory compliance, and data analytics.

Attendees can also network with peers, vendors, and industry experts, and learn about the latest technologies and solutions that can improve their operations and productivity.

We’re proud to be the lead sponsor for this year’s Pharma MES.

Monday: Angelo’s Keynote

On Monday, we kicked things off with an opening keynote from our CEO Angelo Stracquatanio. The topic: “How a connected manufacturing network accelerates product pipeline.”

In his keynote, Angelo walked the audience through pharma’s evolution from a “one drug for all” operating system to “one drug for one,” aka the shift from small molecule manufacturing to biologics and personalized medicine.

To evolve alongside this industry shift, manufacturers need a way to connect and unite all their internal and external sites in real time.

Want to see Angelo’s keynote? We’ve got you covered! Fill out the form on the right side of your screen (desktop) or at the bottom of the page (mobile) to receive a copy of Angelo’s keynote presentation.

Tuesday: Obay’s Tech Talk

On Tuesday, Apprentice Senior Product Manager Obay Alchorbaji gave a tech talk at the Implementation Café.

Obay’s topic: “How can we successfully implement MES across multiple sites?”

To get to the bottom of this million-dollar question, Obay led an interactive workshop sparked by questions such as:

• How can organizations ensure consistent data sharing and management across multiple sites with different processes and systems in place?
• How can companies balance the need for standardization with the need for flexibility to accommodate unique processes and requirements at each site?
• What role does technology play in overcoming the challenges of multi-site MES implementation, and how can companies ensure they are making the right technology choices?
• How can organizations ensure the successful adoption and utilization of a multi-site MES solution, and what steps can be taken to mitigate resistance to change?

After Hours: San Diego

After the daily conference events, the team took time to soak in the sights of sunny San Diego:

And they visited Little Italy for pasta and piña coladas!

What Is DCAT Week?

DCAT Week is an annual event held in the spring, which overlapped with Pharma MES this year. Lucky for us, we had enough teammates to cover both coasts!

DCAT Week brings together professionals in the pharmaceutical and related industries to discuss the latest developments and trends in the sector.

The event is organized by the Drug, Chemical and Associated Technologies Association (DCAT), a global business development association that aims to facilitate networking and collaboration among its members.

One of the main features of DCAT Week is its business meeting platform, which enables attendees to schedule private, pre-arranged meetings with potential partners and customers.

This platform helps to facilitate business development and collaboration among participants and allows them to explore new opportunities and forge new partnerships in a relaxed setting.

Apprentice at DCAT Week

For this year’s event, our team shored up at the 48 Lex Hotel to conduct 1:1 meetings with our East Coast industry network.

The 1:1 nature of DCAT week provided a fantastic opportunity to meet with industry veterans, network with life science manufacturers, and provide hands-on demos of our cloud-native platform.

Industry Panel

We kicked off last week’s DCAT Week sessions with an insightful panel featuring industry leaders AGC Biologics, Catalent Pharma Solutions, GSK, and Merck. The topic: "Research & Benchmarking Executive Summary: Envisioning Bio/Pharma Sourcing and Supply Chain Management in 2030."

After Hours: Manhattan

In between meetings, our DCAT team explored the magnificent sights of New York City; both by day:

And by night:

Time well spent — after all, what’s more iconic than that New York City skyline?

Special thanks to our Senior SSE and resident photographer Mike Morotti for snapping all these gorgeous photos during his stay in NYC!

Our Upcoming Events

We thoroughly enjoyed our time at these two events, but we can't wait for what's next!

Want to connect in person? You can find us at these upcoming conferences and events:

• American Biomanufacturing Summit in San Francisco, CA
• Interphex 2023 in New York, NY
• PDA Good Aseptic Manufacturing Conference in Leipzig, Germany

To learn more about where we’re heading next, check out our events page for Apprentice happenings and updates. See you at the next one!