Vishnukaant Pitty

Japan’s pharma industry, a global innovation leader, faces strain from shifting demand, supply vulnerabilities, and digital disruption. Eight priorities can position it to lead in operations. Executive summary: The evolution of Japan’s pharmaceutical industry Japan’s pharmaceutical industry is entering a decisive decade. Over the past ten years, the country has maintained its position as one of the three or four largest biopharma markets globally, valued at around $75 billion in 2024.

In an organization with smart quality, quality control and assurance are embedded in the business processes and enabled by digital technologies (see sidebar, “‘Smart quality’ at a glance”). For instance, performance management of quality metrics across the organization may be digitally enabled so that virtually every employee has quality elements specific to their role incorporated into their responsibilities and daily work. In a smart-quality organization, everyone owns quality.