Simon Orchard, Vice President, Pfizer Inc., and responsible for the company's biotechnological production and development throughout Europe, is well familiarized when it comes to corporations perspective on life science.
- There is not a single issue that is crucial for the life science companies evaluating various possible locations for the manufacture and development of drugs. It's everything from the expertise and production costs to the climate of cooperation with the company's stakeholders. Underestimate certainly not the importance of soft factors such as political leaders, both nationally and regionally, show an interest, respect for the innovative drug companies' opportunities and willingness to provide solutions, says Simon Orchard, Vice President of Pfizer Inc.
Sweden interesting for biotechnological research and production
Simon Orchard has until recently been responsible for the 1.5 billions investment Pfizer made in Strängnäs. The deciding factor for this investment were the skills and experience gained through the old facility and the infrastructure for biotechnology in Mälardalen and Sweden. Strangnas won in stiff competition with Singapore and Ireland, says Simon Orchard.
Detailed evaluation process
Simon Orchard tells the very detailed evaluation processes carried out in several stages. A number of mandatory criteria must be met for Pfizer's facilities and were a new investment can be made. It matters functioning infrastructure, access to good transportation for both people and products, availability of labor with the right education and expertise and so on. Questions that have a strong impact, for example, an assessment of the overall business climate, proximity to policy makers, social climate and the like. This kind of factors scored and various possible alternative location compared. - Where a new investment sited depends very heavily on all the factors together, usually called the general investment and innovation climate.
The soft factors are important
It is a rational basis for the evaluation being done, says Simon Orchard. - At the end of a process like this, you usually have two or three sites that directly compete against each other. They win various sub-branches, but overall, they are parallel. As always the soft factors emerged as decision criteria again. Then there's always the market climate that makes the difference. That is the location that has the best climate for innovation and where patient access to new treatments valued highest, is the winner, says Simon Orchard.
2011-11-30