Fourth annual Indiana Life Sciences Manufacturing Summit highlights rise of intelligent biomanufacturing

Leaders from industry, academia and government met March 5 in Indianapolis for the 2026 Indiana Life Sciences Manufacturing Summit, organized by the William D. and Sherry L. Young Institute for the Advanced Manufacturing of Pharmaceuticals, the Office of Research, and the Office of Industry Partnerships at Purdue. The fourth annual event focused on advancing the state’s rapidly growing life sciences manufacturing ecosystem and strengthening academic-industrial collaborations.

This year’s summit focused on “The Intelligent Factory: Driving the Next Revolution in Life Sciences Manufacturing through AI, Automation and Regulatory Innovation,” exploring the impact of emerging technologies in transforming pharmaceutical and biotherapeutic production. The program featured remarks from Sen. Todd Young, R-Ind.; Grace McArdle, executive vice president for manufacturing and quality at Elanco; Kelley Rogers, deputy director for the Office of Advanced Manufacturing at the National Institute of Standards and Technology; and Venkat Venkatasubramanian, the Samuel Ruben-Peter G. Viele Professor of Engineering at Columbia University, as well as several panels of regional industry leaders and policymakers.

The Young Institute at Purdue seeks to advance pharmaceutical manufacturing by providing innovative research and industrially relevant education and training to reduce costs, improve access to medicines and support economic development in the state, region and country.