Assembly line at Hyundai Motor Company’s car factory in Ulsan, South Korea WIKIMEDIA COMMONS, TANELI RAJALA
In the past couple of years, big time drugmakers, including GlaxoSmithKline and AstraZeneca, have begun to turn to an unusual advisor for support: automobile manufacturers. While the products of the two industries may have little in common, the structures of the companies are becoming more and more similar.
In 2009, AstraZeneca looked to Jaguar Land Rover, part of India's Tata Motors, for manufacturing advice, Reuters reported. And just a few months ago, GlaxoSmithKline teamed up with McLaren’s Formula One engineers for input on innovation and overall process procedures.
The trend may stem from the rising pressures on the pharmaceutical industry, as patents for big name brand drugs expire and the regulatory landscape makes it increasingly difficult for new drugs to enter the market. "The good ...
