Beyond the Pipeline: Why Breakthrough Science Fails at the Point of Execution

Scientific innovation in advanced therapies is accelerating but the systems required to deliver it are not keeping pace.

Across cell and gene therapy, mRNA and complex biologics, manufacturing scalability, CMC readiness and regulatory complexity have become the primary determinants of success. As a result, many promising programmes stall not because the science fails, but because execution does.

This keynote explores the growing gap between breakthrough science and operational reality, and why the industry’s current model is struggling to translate innovation into viable therapies.

Drawing on experience across biotech leadership, capital strategy and governance, it will examine where the system breaks down and what differentiates organisations that succeed.

Key themes include:

- manufacturing and CMC as strategic, not downstream

- aligning capital with execution reality

- integrating decision-making across the value chain