Pharma Packaging Solutions: Growing Demand vs Labor Supply
The demand for pharma packaging solutions is projected to reach $99 billion by 2034, almost double the current figure. This growth is driven by several factors, including the rise of biologics, personalized medicine, and the increasing need for sustainable and patient-centric packaging. However, this surge in demand comes with its own set of challenges.
Labor Shortages and Operational Bottlenecks
According to a report by the National Association of Manufacturers, 77% of manufacturers find it a struggle to attract and retain a quality workforce (NAM, 2025) [1]. In the pharmaceutical sector, this shortage is acutely felt in more specialized areas, such as packaging, and quality control, and the development and manufacturing of advanced therapeutics, where strict regulatory standards and technological specifications require a skilled and oftentimes niche pool of talent.
According to a 2023 study conducted by the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions [2], 66% of 105 surveyed biopharma supply chain leaders state that, despite the importance of recognising digitisation as a business imperative, many companies are still at a loss in how current roles and skills throughout the pharmaceutical industry must evolve. The acquisition of labor is thus largely reactive, with specific skills being hired in the short-term rather than developing long-term talent pools that reflect a rapidly evolving industry.
“People have options – they can go into tech, law, or any number of other fields. In the CDMO sector, we face the same challenge,”
stated Jack Shute, Managing Director at Vector Talent, in a roundtable discussion held at CPHI Frankfurt 2025.
“Many graduates come out of university and lack awareness on CDMOs and the pharma services sector. It’s essential to educate them about these areas. Similarly, the industry as a whole finds itself in this position when it comes to data and AI – companies simply do not know about the opportunities for data and AI in pharma with the right talent.”
Operational bottlenecks further exacerbate the problem; as demand for pharma packaging solutions grows, manufacturers struggling to scale their operations efficiently. One recent survey from The Pharma Letter [3]showed that contract and budget negotiations alone are the top pain point for an unbelievable 92% of clinical trial sites. Outdated production models and a lack of investment in automation and digital technologies are key contributors to these bottlenecks. Pharmaceutical moves like those of Pfizer and PostEra, AstraZeneca and China’s CSPC, and Eli Lilly and Nvidia point to larger trend of large-scale adoption of AI-native infrastructure in pharma, and the CDMO space must be ready to reshape how they enter such partnerships with the right technologies a topic covered in more detail in the 2026 Pharma Trends Outlook Report [4].
Market Volatility and the Need for Resilience
Driven by the fluctuating cost of raw materials and continued disruption to global supply chains disruptions, a volatile marketplace adds another significant layer of complexity to the sector. While the COVID-19 pandemic exposed major vulnerabilities in the pharma supply chain, disruptions have not abated in recent years, whether due to ongoing global conflicts or natural disasters, among many other causes.
To address these challenges, US pharmaceutical manufacturers will need to rethink their existing production models and partnerships. Investing in automation, digital transformation, and workforce development can help alleviate labor shortages and operational inefficiencies. Additionally, fostering closer collaborations with packaging solutions providers can leave them better equipped to meet growing external demand.
