The impact of blockchain on promoting co-opetition in the pharmaceutical industry

Abstract

The pharmaceutical industry is known for being resistant to cooperation. For decades pharma players avoided joining efforts with each other out of fear of sensitive data spillovers. It turns out that the industry’s paradigm has changed, and companies are now faced with the necessity of resorting to partnerships to solve industry-wide problems and reach the kind of profits they’ve grown used to. This thesis sought to understand the impact of blockchain on promoting co-opetition in the pharmaceutical industry in both Europe and the US. The results were based on scientific journals, industry reports, pilot projects, and expert interviews.Blockchain's main advantage resides in the fact that it allows for both secure interoperabilitybetween partners and process transparency. At the outset, blockchain adoption by companies presupposes an acceptance of cooperation.Experts agreed that the lack of familiarity with the technology can slow down mass adoption. However, since major companies are already engaging with blockchain and experiencing its convenience, it could constitute a new functionality for others to follow. Accordingly, the scenario planning tool indicated that in the near to medium term, blockchain will have moderate industry adoption, mainly by bigger players, whereas the scenarios where blockchain has little to none and mass adoption, were considered less likely by the experts.

Date of Award	28 Jun 2022
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Peter V. Rajsingh (Supervisor)