Cloud platforms are often the focus when discussing application servers and other server-related infrastructure deployments. However, many organisations are deploying their applications and other services via a hybrid model across both cloud and traditional data centres. The need to maintain, update and build new data centres has not gone away due to the emergence of cloud infrastructure. Indeed, the growth of digital technologies across all sectors means that there is a greater need for private data centres than ever.

It is vital that these data centres get designed and built using industry best practices. Expert-led commissioning from day one of a data centre build project (or a refurbishment update project) is essential to make sure that everything that should be considered gets discussed and implemented appropriately. 

In this article, we will outline what data centre commissioning entails and how Oleson is ideally placed to help organisations of any size complete their data centre projects on time and to the specifications they require.

The Irish life sciences sector has experienced a period of rapid growth, and continued investments from major pharmaceutical companies point to this growth continuing in the future. The rapid expansion is also creating challenges, such as skills shortages and competition for qualified staff.

Competing for qualified staff in a heavily invested sector is challenging. Initial recruitment costs increase, as do ongoing costs to retain staff in the vibrant and cash-rich job market. Many life sciences sector companies are looking to bridge their staff recruitment gaps by training existing employees to step up into new roles and using external consultants to bridge gaps while staff transition to more skilled roles.

The process of transitioning from a paper-based environment to a digital one where instructions, productivity tracking, and delivery take place is known as enabling the connected worker. This approach can dramatically improve productivity and staff well-being.

The life sciences manufacturing industry faces challenges such as a constantly changing digital landscape, demand for new pharmaceutical products, and a shortage of skilled manufacturing staff. To be competitive, life sciences manufacturers must upskill their workforces with the latest expertise and knowledge.

Businesses must consistently innovate to enhance and streamline their operations to remain competitive. This innovation should be data-driven, using information from existing processes and machinery. However, pinpointing areas for improvement can be difficult when relevant data is spread across incompatible systems and is stored in multiple formats.

At Oleson, we specialise in the design, deployment, and ongoing support of IT & OT (Operational Technology) systems in manufacturing and the gathering, analysing, and harnessing of the data generated by equipment and IT & OT control systems for business improvement.

The way people work is being transformed by digitisation, especially in manufacturing and factory floor settings, where the connected worker is becoming increasingly prevalent. By digitising work instructions, the reliance on physical paper gets removed, and electronic audit trails and easily searched records are created.

The process of transitioning from a paper-based environment to a digital one where instructions, productivity tracking, and delivery take place is known as enabling the connected worker. This approach can dramatically improve productivity and staff well-being.

Ireland’s life sciences sector is currently experiencing a period of growth and innovation, despite concerns about geopolitical and economic headwinds. According to the Irish Bioindustry Association (IBIA), the sector employs over 48,000 people and generates revenue of €22.5 billion per year. Additionally, a report by IDA Ireland shows that the life sciences sector has attracted €4.4 billion in foreign direct investment between 2015 and 2019, with multinational companies such as Pfizer, GSK, and Merck establishing significant operations in the country.

The pharmaceutical and biotech sectors have recently seen a golden period with significant growth. This is as true in Ireland as it is globally, and the industry here is responsible for over 50,000 highly skilled jobs that deliver €45 billion in annual exports.

Investment in the sector has come from external investment into Ireland by multinationals (25 of the largest biotech and pharma companies have extensive Irish operations) alongside national investment projects from Irish organisations and Government. This investment is ongoing, as shown by Pfizer’s €1 billion investment at its site near Dublin, plus multi-million Euro investments by others such as Merck in Cork, Boston Scientific in Galway, and many other businesses across the island.

Many of these new investments have the dual goals of increasing productivity and simultaneously improving environmental outcomes by producing fewer waste products and carbon emissions. These are essential parts of Horizon Europe and Ireland’s Impact 2030 RD&I agenda.

The growth and continued investment in the pharma and biotech sectors have resulted in a shortage of skilled staff. This is true globally and in Ireland. Research by Enterprise Ireland reported that 26% of Irish companies working in the industry cited skills and talent shortages as the biggest challenge to their businesses.

If Ireland wants to stay at the forefront of this critical sector, we will need to ensure we have the talented people required and create jobs they want to do. As outlined in the Technology Foresight Ireland: Report of the Health and Life Sciences Panel report (PDF download link):

“Ireland will need to invest even further in its greatest asset, that is, its emerging population of young and well-educated people, if it is to maximise the benefits from knowledge-based industries in the coming decades.”

Ensuring that there is a supply of appropriately skilled people to fill the jobs that will be available in the biotech sector will require action on multiple fronts. There will need to be investments in third-level degree courses that give our young people the knowledge and skills required by this 21st-century industry. Skills that cover biotechnology, molecular biology, nanotechnology, computing subjects such as machine learning and programming, and details of modern manufacturing using techniques from Industry 4.0 and Pharma 4.0.

A big part of plugging the skills gap will be using productivity advantages and advanced smart manufacturing techniques from Industry 4.0, especially Pharma 4.0. The latter is the focus of Oleson, and I believe it will play a significant part in addressing the lack of skilled people in the sector by allowing higher productivity returns from fewer people using advanced manufacturing processes.

For anyone who isn’t aware of the Pharma 4.0 term, here is a summary. It is an industry-wide effort by Pharma research labs and manufacturers to create a roadmap to adopt Industry 4.0 manufacturing best practices (see ref 1 for a Deloitte Insights explainer on Industry 4.0).

Digitisation has changed the modern world and how we interact with it. Smartphones and other intelligent wearables like watches and earbuds track our activity and deliver location and context-based information. Many people are accustomed to using location-aware to-do lists that display an alert on their smartphone when they are near the location where they can complete a task. Smart shopping lists are finally here! Similarly, most drivers now use GPS without thinking about the technological layers that have made it universal. This increased use and reliance on technology outside the workplace has highlighted a technical gulf for many workers working on a factory shop floor or in field service industry roles.

This disparity is an opportunity for many organisations. Familiarity with consumer-level technologies allows businesses to introduce systems based on similar technology into shop floor operations or other business functions. This digitisation of working practices to deliver enhanced digital tools and workflows across businesses got boosted by the safety requirements for workers during the pandemic (don’t worry, this is not another pandemic article). Providing information and work instructions in digital form facilitated the social distancing and other safety measures we all followed.

At the same time, it also reduced reliance on paper workflows and audit trails. This is a huge benefit in itself, but it also opens up the prospect of radical digital transformation that delivers enhanced productivity and new flexible working arrangements.