Speaker introduces himself
Thijs Vanslembrouck
Thijs Vanslembrouck - Pfizer
From Uncertainty to Patient Impact: Innovating for Patients Around the World
Abstract: Pfizer’s Puurs site is one of Pfizer’s most strategic manufacturing sites worldwide, supplying medicines and vaccines to patients around the globe. Innovation is integral to the site’s operations. This presentation explains how Pfizer Puurs is building its innovation strategy around three key technology pillars—robotics, machine vision, and data analytics—and how each is translated from an early research phase into validated, at-scale implementation on a highly regulated (GMP) production floor.
Through concrete projects, attendees will follow the entire journey—from identifying operational challenges and defining the problem, through mitigating risks associated with the concept in the face of real-world variability and data uncertainty, to industrial deployment. Each case study illustrates what it takes to bridge the gap between a promising proof-of-concept and a robust production system capable of delivering sustainable value in a quality-critical manufacturing environment. Attendees will gain practical insight into how uncertainty is managed when innovation encounters the constraints of large-scale, quality-critical manufacturing, and what is required to successfully scale new technologies from experimentation to impact.
Biography: Thijs Vanslembrouck is Senior Manager of Innovation Programs at Pfizer Puurs (Belgium). Trained as a bioengineer, he has been drawn to data-driven work throughout his career. He began in the site’s Technical Services department, where he worked on specific process analytical technology (PAT) and near-infrared (NIR) analysis projects. He subsequently played an active role in the launch and scale-up of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine at the Puurs site. Today he leads the strategic innovation agenda for Pfizer Puurs, where robotics, machine vision, and data analytics form the central pillars, and drives projects from early research through to full industrial implementation.