CDMO Industry Update: M&A, AI and the Talent Shifts Reshaping Life Sciences

The past month has been a whirlwind for the contract development and manufacturing (CDMO) world. A series of high‑profile mergers, facility expansions and technology announcements have underscored how quickly the life‑science landscape is changing. In this issue of Vector Talent Insights, we unpack what these developments mean for our sector and, importantly, for the people who power it.

Scaling through strategic M&A

Thermo Fisher × Clario: more than a data play

While attending CPHI Frankfurt in late October, we learned that Thermo Fisher Scientific plans to acquire clinical‑trial data specialist Clario for $8.875 billion in cash plus potential earn‑outs. The transaction includes a $125 million payment in January 2027 and up to $400 million in performance‑linked payouts. Clario’s platform integrates endpoint data from devices, sites and patients and has been used in roughly 70% of FDA drug approvals over the past decade. Marc Casper, Thermo Fisher’s CEO, said the company wants to “deliver even deeper clinical insights” by combining Clario’s data capabilities with Thermo’s products, and the deal is expected to close by mid‑2026.

This is not simply a race to own more data. It is a statement that clinical evidence has become the infrastructure of drug development. By folding Clario into its Laboratory Products and Biopharma Services division, Thermo Fisher is positioning itself to control data flows from early development through manufacturing and commercialisation. Clario has around 4,000 employees and is expected to generate $1.25 billion in revenue in 2025; Thermo Fisher believes the acquisition could unlock $175 million in annual synergies. For our clients, the message is clear: M&A should be accompanied by a talent integration strategy. Digital platforms are only as powerful as the people who implement them, and the success of this deal will depend on aligning systems, cultures and leadership across both organisations.

Building capacity and communities

Serán BioScience’s new campus in Bend, Oregon

Mid‑October saw Serán BioScience begin constructing a 100,000‑square‑foot commercial manufacturing campus in Bend, Oregon. The site includes a 50,000 ft² cGMP manufacturing facility and a 50,000 ft² space for packaging and supply‑chain operations. Supported by investment from Bain Capital Life Sciences and Vivo Capital, the campus is being built alongside Serán’s existing 90,000 ft² clinical development facility. By integrating advanced particle engineering, spray drying, micronisation and nano‑milling technologies, Serán will be able to offer clients end‑to‑end support from first‑in‑human trials through commercial manufacturing.

Beyond the bricks and mortar, the expansion reinforces Bend’s emergence as a Pacific Northwest biotech hub. Serán’s existing campus already employs more than 190 professionals, and the new facility will attract scientists, engineers and supply‑chain experts to the region. For those thinking about career mobility, the development signals that you no longer have to be based in Boston or the Bay Area to participate in cutting‑edge drug development.

A workforce transformed by AI

Disruption and creation: The job‑mix shift

Artificial intelligence is reshaping pharmaceutical operations faster than many predicted. A 2020 McKinsey report noted that up to 50% of work activities in pharma manufacturing could be automated and warned that more than 90,000 jobs might disappear over the next decade, while 90,000-120,000 new jobs would be created. The roles being eliminated involve repetitive manual tasks, while the emerging positions are in bioinformatics, data science and AI‑enabled quality control. At the same time, data skills are four times more in demand than the current supply, according to industry analysis. The implication for individuals is stark: continual up‑skilling has become a career necessity.

How AI is changing hiring itself

During the “AI’s Impact on the Pharma Workforce & Hiring” panel at CPHI Frankfurt, Neil Kelly joined Andrew Mears and Manuela Herrlein to discuss how AI is influencing recruitment. As reported by Pharmaceutical Technology, the panellists observed that manufacturing is shifting from manual work to data‑intensive operations; consequently, skill‑refresh cycles have shrunk from 3-5 years to as little as 6-12 months. Recruiting teams are using AI tools to automate administrative tasks, freeing up time for human interaction, but the panel warned that poorly designed algorithms can amplify unconscious bias. To mitigate bias and “ChatGPT‑optimised” résumés, companies are turning to assessment centres where candidates complete case studies in person. The discussion also highlighted the need for agility in talent management; organisations must define problems first, then identify critical skills and redeploy people across units to fill gaps.

Competing for tech talent

One of the biggest challenges, Neil noted, is attracting technology specialists when “everybody wants to work at Microsoft”. Pharmaceutical companies compete not only with big tech but also with adjacent industries for data engineers and software developers. The panelists argued that smaller CDMOs should leverage partnerships rather than attempting to build every capability internally. Regulatory inertia is another barrier; pharma plants often lag behind industries such as automotive in adopting advanced automation. Changing this requires advocacy at the regulatory level and clear business cases for why adopting AI is necessary.

Embedding AI into the value chain

Thermo Fisher × OpenAI: a frontier collaboration

On 16 October 2025, Thermo Fisher Scientific announced a collaboration with OpenAI to embed advanced AI into its operations. The company will integrate OpenAI’s APIs across product development, service delivery, customer engagement and operational efficiency. Initial deployment will focus on Thermo Fisher’s PPD clinical research business, with the goal of reducing clinical‑trial cycle times and accelerating the delivery of new medicines. The partnership also aims to identify therapies unlikely to succeed, allowing resources to be redirected toward promising candidates. Importantly, Thermo Fisher will deploy ChatGPT Enterprise to its employees to build AI fluency.

Thermo Fisher’s CEO Marc Casper described AI as a “powerful catalyst” for scientific progress, while OpenAI’s COO Brad Lightcap emphasised that frontier AI can cut through complexity and bring real patient impact. The initiative builds on the company’s digital momentum, Thermo Fisher already uses AI to streamline its Accelerator™ Drug Development platform, which spans early development through Phase III trials. When combined with the planned acquisition of Clario, the partnership suggests that Thermo Fisher is constructing an end‑to‑end digital ecosystem: capturing clinical data, analysing it with AI and executing manufacturing and supply‑chain operations seamlessly.

What this means for commercial teams and talent

From our perspective, Thermo Fisher’s partnership with OpenAI is not simply about plugging AI into laboratory workflows yet it is a signal that artificial intelligence is becoming a board‑level priority for the entire value chain. Neil Kelly notes that generative models such as ChatGPT will soon permeate every stage of operations, from discovery to marketing, so CDMOs and CROs need scientists, data engineers and ethicists who can safely integrate AI into regulated environments. He stresses that the winners will be those who combine the smartest systems with the smartest teams, investing in rapid up‑skilling of existing staff and hiring talent fluent in both science and digital tools.

Jack Shute adds that Thermo Fisher’s moves mark a shift in the industry’s centre of gravity from manufacturing to data and evidence generation. He points out that clinical data is now the “new infrastructure” of drug development and that integration across manufacturing, data and clinical services is accelerating. For commercial teams, this opens up new career pathways: AI‑enabled platforms can predict physician needs, personalise messaging and optimise territory planning. Research indicates that personalised AI recommendations can boost sales by 5–15% and that predictive analytics help reps prioritise high‑value physicians and allocate resources efficiently. Sales roles will therefore demand fluency in data analytics and comfort with AI‑driven decision‑making.

External research supports this outlook. Bain & Company notes that winning pharma companies will transform their commercial models with cross‑functional teams and AI strategies. Responding to AI‑driven patient and physician behaviour will require rethinking how companies engage with healthcare professionals (HCPs) and patients—from differentiating on patient experience to empowering multidisciplinary teams across sales, medical, market access and patient services. This reorientation demands new skills: commercial leaders must master digital marketing, AI optimisation and data privacy while still excelling at relationship‑building.

Within our own network, we are seeing a surge in demand for biostatisticians, data scientists and digital‑health experts, with CRO, CDMO and technology skill sets converging. Jack notes that the next decade of life‑science growth will be led by those who can turn complex data into clinical value. For professionals, the message is clear: develop both scientific depth and digital agility. For organisations, invest not just in platforms but in people who can interpret AI‑generated insights, challenge them when necessary and translate them into actionable commercial strategies.

Automation meets regenerative medicine

Mytos’ automated CDMO for stem‑cell therapies

In early October, London‑based biotech Mytos unveiled an automated CDMO offering designed to tackle one of regenerative medicine’s biggest bottlenecks - scalable manufacturing of stem‑cell‑derived therapies. The first facility is located at the Cell and Gene Therapy (CGT) Catapult’s Stevenage Manufacturing Innovation Centre and aims to be clinically ready by September 2026. Powered by Mytos’ iDEM™ automation technology, the site is expected to deliver up to 1,500 autologous doses or 25,000 allogeneic doses annually, with additional clean‑room space to expand capacity. The iDEM system lowers the cost per dose by using the same flask format as manual culture and provides developers with immediate access to GMP‑compliant capacity.

CEO Ali Afshar says the automation addresses the cost and scalability challenges that have kept regenerative therapies from reaching patients. Mytos selected CGT Catapult because of its track record. Over 200 patient batches have already been released by companies at the site, with more than 40% shipped to the United States. The company has bolstered its leadership with industry veterans: former Resilience executive David DiGiusto joins as an advisor, Catalent’s Barry Oliver becomes interim head of quality, and ex‑Cellares director Felix Quagiarello will lead business development. From a talent perspective, the team’s cross‑sector blend of engineers, scientists and technologists could herald a new model for CDMOs, drawing on expertise from biotech, engineering and even consumer-tech sectors.

What this means for the UK

For the UK life‑sciences ecosystem, Mytos signals that future CDMO success may come from automation‑driven disruption rather than sheer scale. It is also a reminder that cell‑therapy manufacturing expertise is becoming more global, with CGT Catapult serving as a magnet for investment and talent. Aspiring professionals should take note: roles blending automation, bioengineering and data science are set to proliferate.

Leadership journeys and authentic voices

Grace H. Kim: from lab bench to boardroom

Our podcast series Talent Talkbox: Elevate showcases stories of women leading the way in pharma outsourcing. In the most recent episode, Marianne Gissane interviews Grace H. Kim, Senior Vice‑President and Global Head of Sales & Business Development at Minaris Advanced Therapies. Kim describes her unique path, from aspiring choral conductor to molecular biologist to executive leader and stresses that confidence is not the absence of fear but the ability to “fear less”. She credits mentors and diverse teams for helping her navigate imposter syndrome and transition from science to sales.

Kim notes that aligning teams around “the reality of a situation” is critical when making decisions. Her story underscores the value of scientific grounding in commercial roles. Understanding the science helps build credibility with clients and allows her to translate complex technical concepts into business value. For organisations building leadership pipelines, her journey illustrates why encouraging scientists to explore commercial and operational roles can pay dividends.

Listen to the full episode here: https://www.vectorta.com/article/orchestrating-growth-grace-kims-path-from-scientist-to-global-sales-leader

Looking ahead: implications for talent and strategy

The flurry of announcements this month underscores three themes that will shape the CDMO and CRO talent landscape:

1. Data & digital integration drive consolidation. Deals like Thermo Fisher-Clario highlight how clinical data has become the “new infrastructure” of drug development. Firms that control data flows, and the AI tools to interpret them, will set the pace for the industry.
2. AI demands a new talent mix. Automation will eliminate tens of thousands of traditional roles while creating even more positions requiring digital fluency. Companies must invest in rapid upskilling, redesign their hiring practices to mitigate algorithmic bias, and compete effectively for tech talent.
3. Cross‑disciplinary teams are the future. Whether it is Mytos blending automation engineers with cell‑therapy scientists or Grace Kim leveraging her science background in sales, the winning formula involves combining expertise from disparate fields. As the CDMO market grows (projected to reach $185 billion in 2025 and $323 billion by 2033 with a 7.2 % CAGR) demand for hybrid skills will only intensify.

At Vector, we are committed to helping our clients build high‑performing teams and navigate these transitions. Our mission is to support science through talent, delivering today’s leaders and developing tomorrow’s experts. As you digest the rapid changes described here, remember that M&A success, facility expansion and AI deployment all hinge on people. Aligning culture, investing in skills and fostering collaboration across disciplines will determine who thrives in the next era of life‑science innovation.

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