Navigating the Strategic Imperatives of DCAT Week 2026
In this brief guide to DCAT Week 2026, The Pharma Navigator explores some of the critical dialogues’ attendees can look forward to participating in during their stay in Manhattan.
Since the first DCAT Annual Dinner, which was held in 1926, New York City has played host to the multifaceted global event, DCAT Week (1). For this year’s event, DCAT member companies will once again have the opportunity to conduct private meetings, participate in educational sessions, and network with their industry peers with the backdrop of Manhattan’s midtown.
Industry Outlook and Investment Landscape
Currently, the bio/pharma industry is facing an uncertain environment thanks to a number of factors, including global market shifts and geopolitical challenges. The changing landscape is driving new trends within industry, such as focusing on novel and innovative therapies to mitigate the potential ramifications of patent cliffs, speeding up the integration of technological advances to overcome the potential operational skills shortage, and investing in domestic manufacturing to future-proof against possible policy shifts and trade bottlenecks.
In a recent interview with The Pharma Navigator (2), Carrie Bracco from Novartis Contract Manufacturing revealed her thoughts on the current trend of investing in domestic manufacturing. “I think it’s obvious with all the geopolitical things that are happening, having a focus on U.S. manufacturing sites is strategically important, and there are a lot of people doing that at the moment,” she said (2).
Key Sessions Around Market Trends and Investments
Taking to the stage on Monday afternoon to evaluate the state of the industry and also provide some forward-looking prospects will be Graham Lewis and Murray Aitken, both from IQVIA. Lewis and Aitken will provide an overview of how the global industry has shaped up in the challenging environment and what projected growth opportunities should be expected in the future. The Pharma Industry Outlook session will also be followed by a Networking Reception for registered attendees.
On Tuesday morning, Sean P. McKee from PharmaBioSource and Daniel Cohen from Morgan Stanley will delve into the topic of manufacturing investments more deeply. Their session, Manufacturing Investments, Capacity & Financial Outlook: A Pharma & CDMO View, which will take place between 9 and 10 am, is expected to provide an overview of the investments and an analysis of how they will impact the wider industry.
Securing a Suitable Sourcing Strategy
A key industry theme of late has been global sourcing strategies, with companies seeking out ways to insulate their pipelines from potential global trade volatility. As Kent Payne from Wilmington PharmaTech pointed out in a recent interview with The Pharma Navigator (2), there has been an evolution of a thesis towards diversification to avoid over-reliance on single-source opportunities. “It’s always best to make sure there is a redundancy, if you will, within your supply chain, and a focus on a long-term supply chain diversification and geographic diversification in particular,” Payne asserted.
Key Sessions Around Sourcing, and Supply
At 11 am on Tuesday, a selection of company executives will share their insights into how pharma companies and suppliers can collaborate to deal with future challenges. The Future-Proofing the Pharma Customer–Supplier Relationship panel will comprise Xavier De Ceuninck from Pfizer, Ajay Nanda from BD, Troy Mathews from Bristol Myers Squibb, and Sara Henneman from Thermo Fisher Scientific, and it will be moderated by Vishal Bhandari from Kearney.
On Tuesday afternoon, from 1 pm, another panel of experts will take to the stage to discuss the ways in which artificial intelligence (AI) and digitalization are being used for sourcing, procurement, and supply management. In AI & Digitalization: The State of the State in Sourcing, Procurement & Supply Management, Christina de Cunha from Sanofi and Bala Sreenivasan from Merck & Co. will, under the moderation of Janel Firestein from Clarkston Consulting, offer a practical and candid assessment of the current utility of AI and digitalization within their companies and the potential further applications for supply management. Additionally, Corwin Hee from Gartner will analyze where AI currently stands in the supply chain and will offer up a timeline for its adoption.
Partnering to Create Value
As bio/pharma companies seek to stabilize their ships in the choppy global waters, strategic partnerships are ever more critical in shoring up capabilities and expertise. However, ensuring that sufficient value is created through a partnership can be a tricky affair; CDMOs need to provide value-added services that will yield good returns and bio/pharma companies need to be willing to pay for these services in the first instance.
Key Session Around Creating Value
A panel session will take place on Wednesday morning at 10 am covering the topic of value creation. The panelists for the session will be Vince Ricevuto from GSK, Michael Hoffman from AbbVie, Paul Smaltz from BASF, and Jason Bertola from Lonza, and they will be moderated by Jim Miller from DCAT. During the session, titled Creating Value Beyond Product and Price in the Pharma Customer–Supplier Relationship, the panelists will debate how value creation is defined, who should take on the costs of value creation, and ways in which value creation can be measured and analyzed
References
DCAT. About DCAT Week. DCAT.org (accessed March 16, 2026).
Thomas, F. DCAT Week 2026: The Domestic Imperative for Manufacturing. The Pharma Navigator, March 18, 2026.
Thomas, F. DCAT Week 2026: Building a Sustainable Supply. The Pharma Navigator, March 18, 2026.
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