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The medication factory of the future is the human body

The green transformation of medication with Green Horizon is food for thought

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The production and purchasing of medications are significant contributors to Global Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions. The pharmaceutical sector’s mission is no different than any other sector: it must free itself from the take-make-waste paradigm. This is a complex challenge that demands an innovative approach, which is why our Life Sciences experts at frog, part of Capgemini Invent, conducted an innovative thought experiment with a prospective approach. We asked a simple question: What would medication become if we put 100% emphasis on Sustainability in the User-Centric Design Thinking scheme of desirability, feasibility, and viability?

Illustration 1: A holistic approach complete with sustainability

Our experiment yielded the Green Horizon, which envisions a greener target for medication and a roadmap to develop it. Based on previous analysis, we conducted outside-the-box thinking on how to functionalize the human body, thereby making it a medication factory. We used this Green Horizon as a tool to shape a step-by-step transformation roadmap of progressive changes while balancing environmental performance, time, investment, and costs.

Mapping the lifecycle with the impact journey

According to a 2019 report by Health Gare Without Harm and ARUP, the healthcare sector would be the fifth-largest emitter on the planet if it were a country. There is clearly much work to be done, as is evident in the breakdown of medicine’s environmental impacts below:

Illustration 2: Heat map of the environmental impacts of medication (extract)

By simply functionalizing the human body, the health sector can radically improve environmental performance and lead a revolution in the development of new medicines. This exciting potential is at the heart of our new Life Sciences paper.

The medication factory of the future is the human body – The green transformation of medication with Green Horizon is food for thought

Download the report

Green horizon is food for thought

Green Horizon represents a giant leap in the right direction for companies in all industries and sectors. But for energy-sensitive sectors like healthcare and pharmaceuticals, such an approach can push the boundaries with some much-needed innovation and creativity. Industries have a crucial role to play in the social aspect of raising awareness and in the technical aspect of reducing environmental impacts.

Learn more about the transformative potential of Green Horizon in our new POV. And contact one of our experts to find out how you can begin thinking outside the box.

Contact our Experts

Damien Vossion

Vice President at Capgemini Invent, Life Sciences & Operating Model
I started my career as a consultant in 2000 and gained experience in major transformation projects in Manufacturing, Quality, Supply Chain, and clinical operations, with a strong focus on Industry 4.0 since 2015. I supported General Management in the Life Sciences sector (Pharmaceutical companies, Medical Device companies, and Chemical companies) as well as other large industrial and services companies. I now manage the Life Sciences department at Capgemini Invent in France and co-develop the Life Sciences in Switzerland.

Xavier de la Casa

Associate Director Sustainable Products and Services Frog, part of Capgemini Invent
I am a passionate senior whose leitmotiv is to aggregate multi-functional expertise to deliver the best-bespoke value for Users and Customers. Still a strong Mechanical Engineering expert after 17y @EADS, SAFRAN and Altran; I have acquired also intuitive skills to facilitate creativity workshops and agile methods from 5y @ Altran ID & frog design. This passion for new territories overflows also in my private life as I am designing fine jewelry for 10y now and spend a mouthful of time in photography and 3D movie making.

Kathryn Ernecq

Innovation accelerator, frog, part of Capgemini Invent
Experienced Strategy Researcher / Competitive Intelligence expert with a demonstrated history of over 20 years working between engineers, researchers, R&D, marketing or business departments and now data analysts towards innovative products, services and smart offers. She’s eager to see how new technologies enable those feasible, desirable, viable and sustainable solutions for best in class experiences, especially in connected health.