Business drivers such as speed to market are critical factors that influence the trajectory of emerging companies in the novel therapies market. The ability to produce life-saving medicines and therapies carries an inherent urgency. The influence of delivering a facility quickly impacts many decisions throughout constructing a manufacturing facility. One unfortunate casualty of a hyper-focus on schedule can often be sustainability, which is perceived to carry a premium of time or upfront capital for the sake of improving operating costs and reducing environmental impact. This contradiction places design teams in a difficult situation.
As consulting engineers, we serve our clients’ best interests and strive to do so with sustainability in mind. It is futile to argue the relative importance of speed-to-market of a life-saving drug vs. long-term sustainability of a facility. However, delivering on a tight schedule does not mean we have to ignore energy performance.
The following five basic strategies can help reduce the footprint of cutting-edge novel therapy manufacturing facilities without compromising on safety or speed: