Industry advancements continue to rapidly mature. This February roundup includes important developments and technologies that are taking center stage in pharma, auto, cyber security, FinTech, and defence.

PHARMA

[REPORT] Why You Need AI to Manage Increasing Global Complexity

Examined in this report are the challenges facing both functions and present case studies on how artificial intelligence (AI) could be the solution needed to manage global complexity.

This report includes shared insight from Clarivate Analytics, GSK and Merck on how AI can allow regulatory affairs and BD&L teams to:

• Automate necessary, but mundane, manual tasks and focus energy on high-value activities
• Make faster, more accurate decisions in response to market changes
• Track and compare pipeline activity and global regulations
• Predict key approval timelines and allocate resources accordingly

Also featured is an exclusive case study on how an AI model delivered 25 per cent more accurate data than the average BD&L team, five areas to focus AI efforts to improve regulatory productivity, and strategies to minimize the risk of AI implementation.

Realizing the Promise of AI in Biopharma

The world of biopharma could see huge benefits from embracing AI, but it will need to invest in data preparation and overcome an internal resistance to change.

After several years of experimentation and field testing, the authors of this article – Ben Faircloth, Clay Heskett and Anne Dhulesia – believe it is time for biopharma players to plan the implementation of AI solutions more broadly in drug development. With the right focus from both AI companies and biopharma, a significant proportion of R&D projects will have an AI component within the next five years, which they discuss in depth in this article.

Driving Efficiency in Lab Workflow Planning

Ahead of her session at SmartLab Digital 2020, Pharma IQ caught up with Unjulie Bhanot, Solution Owner (Biologics Development) at IDBS, to discuss data and technology in the lab, digitalization at scale and workflow planning.

In this article, Unjulie Bhanot answers questions like:

• What major trend stood out in respect to digitalization at scale in 2019?
• In respect to systems integration, a major complaint from within the industry is that nothing works as expected and systems fail to connect or talk to one another – what are your thoughts on the issue?
• What recommendations do you have to help unpick the problem?
• In respect to workflow planning, what should companies keep in mind when they are looking for software to match the needs of the scientist, and not just the project?
• How can software be used to make the lab a better environment for scientists to work in?
• Have you seen any of these approaches work in practice?

Hybrid AI Applications Could be the Future of Pharmaceutical Innovation

Christopher McKenna, Global Head of Professional Services and Consulting at Clarivate Analytics, offers his insight on the core topics of AI adoption and R&D productivity.

In this article, Christopher McKenna answers these questions:

• With interest in AI continuing to grow in the pharmaceutical industry, what is the current level of adoption?
• Many believe that AI will be the solution to the productivity problem in R&D. What impact do you see the technology having?
• What must a company keep in mind to ensure the success of its AI project?
• Looking forward, what will the industry need to consider next to fully benefit from the impact of AI and ML?

AUTO

Automotive IQ Guides: Autonomous Cars

After the initial euphoric predictions of mass adoption of self-driving cars by 2025, the industry, regulators and consumers are taking a step back as the enormity of the challenges comes to the fore. 

This article dives deep on:

• Recent events expose the challenges self-driving tech must overcome
• What are the challenges facing self-driving car manufacturers and regulators as AVs take to the roads?
• What standards, rules and laws are being considered to regulate autonomous vehicles?
• Consumers around the world express mixed sentiments when it comes to self-driving cars
• The testing of autonomous vehicles has come a long way, but still driverless cars have many more miles to cover
• The first driverless vehicles without a steering wheel are set to take to the roads

Automotive IQ Guides: Connected Cars

In order to perform functions independently, Level 5 autonomous cars will need to communicate with other self-driving cars and infrastructure.

What is more, they will need to do this while securely processing vast amounts of data, in real time and with low latency. To achieve this, manufacturers, in consultation with regulators, are exploring several promising technologies.

This article has an in-depth look into:

• Promising new technologies
• The battle for V2X technology supremacy rages on: DSRC versus C-V2X in the connected car
• The changing state of connectivity preferences for connected cars
• Can satellites boost cellular-v2x communication, or even surpass terrestrial 5G-based C-V2X performance?
• It is time for the industry to define the levels of connectivity in connected cars

CYBER SECURITY

Recognizing Access Management As A Cyber Security Framework And Process Control

There are many disciplines that fall beneath the umbrella of IT security. Identity and Access Management (IAM) and Privileged Access Management (PAM) are critically important in terms of network security business tactics to shore up sensitive information.

In granting access to specific accounts in the enterprise, and subsequently managing them for maximum security, this discipline has become paramount in the day-to-day operations of a business.

This article talks about:

• Recognizing IAM as a process control
• Taking the next step with access management

[WEBINAR] Decreasing Cyber Risk Through Compliance in the Enterprise

Compliance is often viewed as a reaction for organizations. The auditing of compliance becomes the event that is anticipated with resources and preparation aligned to culminate in the audit itself. A famous approach used in product development is that launch is a process; not an event. The spirit of that message is important for security leaders to consider in building a sustainable business case for compliance. Compliance should be viewed as a continuous, organizational process.

This on-demand webinar answers these questions:

• Are there common needs and requirements amongst clusters of industries, such as regulatory and compliance frameworks?
• What can industry sectors that are not heavily regulated today be doing from a security perspective to prepare for a more regulated future?
• Are there specific compliance-related roles in organizations that security leaders need to better align with?
• How can security leaders promote compliance as a business advantage or differentiator rather than a technical or regulatory requirement?
• What tools are available to change the enterprise behaviour of compliance as an event to compliance as an on-going process?

[WHITEPAPER] The Role of Human Factors in Enterprise Cyber Security

Cyber criminals continue to refine techniques that target people rather than infrastructure, with attacks that rely more on human interaction and less on automated exploits.

Regardless of the means of attack—email, cloud applications, the web, social media, or other vectors—threat actors repeatedly demonstrated the effectiveness of the social engineering tactics that convinced victims to click malicious links, download unsafe files, install malware, transfer funds and disclose sensitive information at scale. Whether financially motivated or state-sponsored, attackers all had one thing in common: an understanding of and a willingness to take advantage of the human factor.

Based on the analysis of data collected from more than 1 billion messages per day, this report explores the role of human factors on enterprise cyber security strategy.

Important enterprise security questions addressed in this report include:

• The Top 20 phishing lures
• Ten industries most-often targeted by malware campaigns
• People-centered attack metrics that you can benchmark against your organization

The Immediate Impact of AI in the Security Operations Center (SOC)

Artificial intelligence (AI) is poised to make rapid advancements and its impact is already being felt in many aspects of the enterprise organization.

And no surprise, cyber-attackers are leveraging machine learning and other AI-related technologies to carry out more frequent and more sophisticated attacks.

Discussed in this article:

• Is machine learning mature enough for mission-critical enterprise workflows?
• Market report describes crossover opportunity

Implementing Digital Transformation Without Stressing the Cyber Security Team

Cyber-attacks are a reality for every organization because of the increasing reliance on digital systems, application and processes. The damage from a cyber-attack can have long-lasting impact on an organization.

The role of building and maintaining a critical infrastructure security program falls upon the IT department and a specialized team chartered with protecting systems, personnel and sensitive company data.

This article talks through:

• Designing company cyber policies for the desired outcome
• How to communicate with the organization’s stakeholders
• Digital transformation is a stressful exercise for cyber security teams

FINTECH

Blockchain in 2020 Part 1

The first part of this two-part blockchain series explores these questions:

• How does blockchain in financial services avoid the trough of disillusionment?
• What will 2020 bring for an industry that is trying to move on from the buzz and look for real world implementation opportunities?
• Can Libra come back?
• Will the real Satoshi Nakamoto announce themselves and go on a highly publicised and lucrative academic tour? 

Blockchain in 2020 Part 2

The second part of this two-part blockchain series explores these questions:

• How does blockchain avoid its Kodak moment?
• What will 2020 bring for an industry that is looking at the drive for interoperability?
• What has Mark Zuckerberg got up his sleeve next?
• Will the real Satoshi Nakamoto announce themselves and start becoming a ubiquitous feature on reality TV shows?

[WEBINAR] Unlocking Interoperability

Have you ever looked at the backend structure of a financial institution? With legacy system arcon-demand hitecture dating back over 30 years, inserting new technology into that stack can be challenging.

This webinar with R3 looks at interoperability between different blockchain / DLT platforms, and the legacy systems they interface with. It examines the challenges consortia, enterprise players, FIs, central banks and tech providers face – and how they overcome them.

Hear about the different market level business problems DLT can solve, and how the infrastructure that is being laid down right now will derive value for years to come.

The History of Fintech Vol. 6: Back to the Future Vol. 2 – Gen Z

Ask a member of Generation Z what a cassette tape is and they’ll stare at you blankly, until their attention runs out, after roughly 8 seconds, and then return to their smartphones.

Analogue is over, and digital is king. Shopping, smoking, and music have all gone digital. So has finance. The days of popping into your local bank’s high street branch to speak to a real human being about a financial product are long gone. The age of man is over, the age of the chatbot has begun.

In this article, learn how fintech is tailoring its products to this new generation.

DEFENCE

Countering Drones - An Evolving Cybersecurity Requirement

As drones continue to evolve from novelty items to a ubiquitous business tool, resourceful network intruders may also see an opportunity to leverage drones’ proximity to homes, businesses, critical infrastructures and defence sector premises to turn the machines into a jumping-off point to networks and systems, thus creating a new category of infection vector from which the defence sector must now defend itself.

In this article, learn more about these new threats and what is being done to counter them.

The Evolving Air and Missile Defence Threat

The spectrum of air and missile threats is becoming increasingly complex and diverse, a trend set to continue for the foreseeable future, and poses distinct operational, strategic, and technical challenges.

This article discusses:

• Air and missile threats, including new AI technologies
• Russia and China
• Implications and concerns to address

Cross-Sector Innovation: A Pathway to UK Defence Transformation

The UK Defence Solutions Centre (UKDSC) launched a new Cross-Sector Innovation challenge in January 2020, 'Subsea Autonomous Systems: Next Generation Technologies'. This article features David Wotherspoon, Executive Director - Innovation, UKDSC and Head of Maritime Innovation, Chris Shepherd, to find out more about the project.

Topics covered in this article:

• From Open to Cross-Sector Innovation
• Subsea Autonomous Systems: Fertile Ground for Cross-Sector Innovation
• Leveraging the Knowledge Landscape: The CSI The Innovation Lab
• A Pathway to UK Defence Transformation