Pharmapack Europe 2026: Geopolitical Impacts on Pharmaceutical Packaging

Current geopolitical rhetoric, particularly from the United States, is driving a shift in how manufacturers approach partnerships and supply chain planning. Instead of seeking global "optimal" capabilities, companies are increasingly focusing on North American and European regional support, according to Dexter Tjoa, CEO of Tjoapack. While the full material impact of these shifts may take years to realize, manufacturers are already announcing significant investments in US physical footprints to increase capacity. These changes are often capacity-driven, reflecting a strategic move to support regional capabilities rather than a purely political reaction.

How are strategic packaging and waste reduction enhancing pharma manufacturing?

As the industry looks toward 2026, the role of the expert packaging partner is becoming more vital, especially for innovative biotech companies that lack extensive internal manufacturing networks. Packaging is the critical final step before distribution; specialized expertise in this area helps to control fulfillment lead times and delivery schedules, reduce financial risks associated with tied-up capital in stock, and minimize product wastage, ensuring more medicine reaches patients.

Sustainability is also a primary focus for the future, moving beyond eco-friendly materials to encompass the efficient use and control of the drug products themselves.

Future outlook and capabilities

Industry leaders are currently utilizing forums like Pharmapack Europe to showcase global platforms that support both oral solid doses and injectables across the US and Europe. These efforts are bolstered by new facility build-outs in the US, signaling a commitment to maintaining a robust, multi-regional presence. This evolution reflects a growing consciousness regarding how and where packaging occurs to ensure long-term supply chain reliability and availability for patients.

Tjoapack, booth 4D118, will be highlighting its packaging solutions at Pharmapack Europe, which is being held in Paris on January 21 and 22.

Transcript

Editor's note: This transcript is a lightly edited rendering of the original audio/video content. It may contain errors, informal language, or omissions as spoken in the original recording.

Has the geopolitical atmosphere for the past few years impacted how contract manufacturers are approaching partnerships or investments?

Yes, definitely. You know, as far as real, true impact of, you know, predominantly the rhetoric coming out of the US government, of what real, material impact that has on, sort of the supply chain, of the pharmaceutical sector. I think that's still really to be seen. You know, these changes take years, so I don't think we have seen where things are going yet, but certainly the conversation has shifted quite a lot. Where before we, you know, we're looking at, okay, what sort of capabilities are more optimal for a type of product, and where do we have that, either in Europe or the United States. It's more regional conversation. You know, how can, how can we have a North American supply chain? How can, you know, how can you guys at your park support you know that capability regionally and vice versa in Europe, so that that certainly has shifted, you know, conversations we have with customers and how they're approaching supply chain planning in terms of investments. Well, I mean lots of big announcements of obviously, investments in the United States in terms of physical footprint. US among them, I'd say ours is more capacity driven, rather really geopolitical. It's not a geopolitical decision. But, yeah, I think the real impact of that is still very much years in the future, you know, and let's see what actually comes of those five years down, down the road. Great. Okay, last

What do you anticipate for 2026 and beyond? For pharma packaging?

I think that you know, the trend for the more niche service provider, you know, like ourselves, and particularly being at this sort of end of the pharmaceutical manufacturing chain. You know, packaging is sort of the final step before distribution, of course, in the importance of a real expert player. Well, I mean, I'm tooting our own horn, of course, so somewhat bias and biased opinion, but we see a real value for certain type of customers or. Albeit more certainly the biotech and more innovative type companies that may not have expanded manufacturing supply chain networks and teams that can support them, the benefits of having a real expertise on this final assembly piece before distribution can make a lot of difference in controlling waste in your supply chain, controlling delivery times and fulfillment lead times. You know, the activity of packaging is obviously not the most complicated or the most scientific, but when you do it and where you do it, and how can have, you know, big financial as well as reliability of your supply chain impacts overall, which then obviously impacts availability of product to patient or impact what sort of stock you keep, and that ties up money, as Well as increases risk for wastages, etc. So having, you know, we see people be more conscious about it, and that, I think, will continue, you know, along the trends of sustainability, it's not just about materials that are sustainable. It's also how you use them and control and minimize waste for packaging materials, but also, obviously the drug product itself, that most of it will go to patients rather than, you know, good chunk of it in the bin.

What are you looking forward to at pharma pack Europe this year? Is there anything that that you guys are going to be highlighting?

Well, it's first time, a couple of years that we're actually exhibiting at Pharmapack again. So we're excited to be back, excited to kick off the year and meet you know, old friends and new hopefully. You know, we want to continue highlight our platform. You know, we spend a lot of money in building our global platform to support, you know, drug drug supply chains in Europe, in the United States. So we want to continue highlight, you know, our capabilities across oral, solar, dose and injectable products. Of course, we'll be talking about our new investments in the United States and our build out of our facility there, but that's sort of a, you know, part of the whole.