External Manufacturing Leaders Basel is an exclusive, invitation-only Think Tank for senior external manufacturing professionals.

Mid-2026. Capacity remains tight, regulatory clarity remains elusive, and CDMO relationship complexity hasn’t eased. Senior leaders are evaluating what’s working in their biopharma development and manufacturing.

In partnership with Rezon Bio, External Manufacturing Leaders Basel convenes VP+ manufacturing executives on 2nd September 2026 for lunch and confidential peer dialogue on the operational realities of external manufacturing in 2026.

What We’re Discussing

Our facilitated sessions focus on the strategic decisions leaders are making now:

Partnership performance under pressure — As CDMOs navigate their own capacity and capability constraints, how are peers evaluating which relationships deliver genuine strategic value versus transactional supply throughout the product lifecycle?

Digital infrastructure and AI: separating signal from noise — From real-time batch visibility to AI-assisted deviation management, which digital capabilities justify prioritization in CDMO selection? What’s delivering measurable operational impact versus appearing impressive on capability presentations?

Making network decisions with incomplete information — When regulatory clarity remains elusive and market dynamics shift rapidly, what frameworks are leaders using to make defensible long-term network commitments – balancing capacity, technical experience and partnerships?

How It Works

An executive lunch (12:00-13:00) followed by facilitated peer discussions (13:00-15:30) under Chatham House Rules—insights shared freely, sources protected. This closed-door format enables the candid conversations that inform real strategic decisions, not the cautious presentations typical of industry conferences.

You’ll leave with practical approaches your peers are implementing—tested in actual operations, not consultant frameworks.

Who Attends

VP+ external manufacturing leaders responsible for CDMO strategy, network design, and supply operations at pharmaceutical and biotech companies. This is an invitation-only gathering designed for executives at this level of accountability.

More about upcoming ExM Leaders events.