Novartis will work with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to increase efficiencies across its manufacturing, supply chain and delivery operations. The company will use AWS’ portfolio of cloud services to create custom solutions which use artificial intelligence and machine learning to drive agility, innovation, and cost efficiencies across Novartis’ global processes.

Through the collaboration, Novartis hopes to centralise its data so it can speed up the production of personalised treatments that are more complex to manufacture. In particular, Novartis will utilise its own ‘Insight Centers’ alongside AWS’ cloud services to better track production lines and detect bottlenecks.

More so, by using AWS internet of things (IoT) services, Novartis will aim to improve visual inspections of its manufacturing sites by generating images that can be analysed using computer vision algorithms to monitor for risks to manufacturing production, such as unplanned downtime or delayed orders. The company hopes that by using real-time data, it will be better equipped to make decisions that ensure medicines are efficiently produced and distributed to patients around the world.

“I’m really proud of how the teams are working together on the ground to bring Amazon-like user experiences to our associates. There is a lot we can learn from the AWS team, and while manufacturing is a great starting place, we’re keen to also explore where else we can apply this technology,” said Bertrand Bodson, chief digital officer at Novartis. “Using data science and digital technologies to reimagine the way we manufacture medicines is not only at the heart of our transformation, but also core to our ambition to bring innovative medicines to patients faster.”

“We are excited about this collaboration, bringing together AWS’s unmatched portfolio of services with deep Novartis expertise in the way they manufacture pharmaceuticals and the way they approach supply chain processes,” said Mike Clayville, vice president, Worldwide Commercial Sales at AWS. “AWS’s security, scalability, and highly reliable infrastructure can help Novartis advance its technical operations with greater agility and customer-orientation, and potentially reducing the time it takes to bring innovative medicines to patients.”