As 2022 takes shape, our industry finds itself at a point few of us expected: the start of a third year in this truly extraordinary era.

Over the last two years, biopharma businesses have made an indelible impact on our world. Today, their role in shaping global health has never been more urgent or relevant. At the same time, this remarkable period has left our entire industry in a state of significant, continuing flux.

So, what’s next for these businesses and their partners as they navigate the unprecedented dynamics of today’s biopharma market? We see great promise ahead—alongside continuing major shifts that will need to be expertly managed to sustain the industry’s success. Here are some major trends we believe will shape the biopharma sector in 2022 and beyond.

Looking ahead; All told, a bright future is well within reach for the global biopharma industry. Reaching that future, however, will take keen foresight, smart strategy and expert support—as well as dedicated partners who can deliver those crucial resources.

In the coming years, look for biopharma companies to discover those partners across the entire value chain. We see service providers playing an increasingly vital role in not only helping their customers pursue the path to success, but in finding and shaping that path as well.

Together, they may create a future that’s even brighter than we expect—not just for their businesses, but for our whole world as well.

Here are the 5 trends that will shape this promising year.

2. Rise of “third wave biotech” Today’s wave of novel agents isn’t simply filling a busy global pipeline; it’s ushering in a new era for our industry.

3. Sustainable biopharma; Our industry has become increasingly aware of an uncomfortable fact: we have a massive carbon footprint, one that has grown even bigger than the automotive industry.

4. Accelerating digital transformation

5. More strategic collaborations; Increasing focus on not just the function but also the value of outsourced partnerships.

Bridgestone Americas (Bridgestone), a global leader in tires and sustainable mobility solutions, announced an exclusive partnership with Carbon Capture and Transformation (CCT) company, LanzaTech NZ, Inc. (LanzaTech) to address end-of-life tire waste. The two companies will co-develop the first dedicated end-of-life tire recycling process leveraging LanzaTech’s proprietary CCT technology, creating a pathway toward tire material circularity and the decarbonization of new tire production.

Bridgestone and LanzaTech seek to develop a new business model that will create a post-consumer waste management strategy for end-of-life tires, while also driving increased adoption of sustainably sourced chemicals for commercial applications. Applying LanzaTech’s carbon capture and gas fermentation process to end-of-life tires yields sustainably produced chemicals such as ethanol that can be converted to materials such as PET for packaging, polyester yarn and surfactants used in consumer home goods like laundry detergent. In addition, Bridgestone and LanzaTech will jointly explore opportunities to co-develop proprietary microbe technology to produce more efficient pathways to produce butadiene, a key ingredient in new tire production, realizing true circularity for end-of-life tires.

“LanzaTech and Bridgestone are working together to find solutions to some of our world’s greatest challenges,” said Dr. Jennifer Holmgren, Chief Executive Officer, LanzaTech. “We have already proven that we can convert unrecyclable, unsorted municipal solid waste to ethanol and then make products we use in our daily lives. With our partnership with Bridgestone, we are developing a circular pathway to use tires to make tires. This partnership exemplifies what we call a Post Pollution Future.”