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I by IMD report
The Future of Life Sciences
The new map of discovery, terms of competition, and the search for where value will lie
The life sciences have rarely held more promise for patients, or faced such profound change in how new treatments are discovered, funded, and delivered.
Five interconnected shifts are redrawing the competitive landscape across pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, and medical technology. Together, they are changing not only where innovation happens and how companies compete, but what it takes to turn scientific breakthroughs into lasting value for patients, companies, and the wider healthcare ecosystem.
Readers will discover:
- How the map of medical innovation is being redrawn, as geopolitical fragmentation reshapes discovery, supply chains, investment, and access to new treatments.
- Why technology and talent alone will not determine who wins, and how organizational capabilities, culture, and judgment can turn scientific excellence into competitive advantage.
- Where value is moving next, as companies rethink what to build, buy, license, or access through partnerships and ecosystems.
Scientific excellence will remain the foundation of the life sciences, but it will not determine success on its own. The companies most likely to lead the next decade will be those that combine great science with the judgment, organizational capabilities, and partnerships needed to turn discovery into treatments that reach patients.
Five shifts reshaping life sciences
1. Geopolitics redraws the map of innovation.
2. Healthcare systems demand more for less.
3. AI changes how science gets done.
4. Scientific talent becomes a strategic advantage.
5. Value moves from products to ecosystems.
What IMD faculty say
“AI promises dramatic gains in speed and productivity, but its greatest impact will come only after life sciences simplifies the complex systems that slow innovation and patient access.”
Carlos Cordon
Professor of Strategy and
Supply Chain Management
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