When we last spoke with Suanfarma in 2023, the focus was on a company expanding its footprint. At the time that meant strengthening its API manufacturing base, growing internationally, and building on its dual expertise in pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals.
In 2026, the context has shifted. The conversation is no longer about expansion alone, but about industrial focus, execution, and positioning within a changing global supply chain. With increasing pressure on supply chain resilience, the renewed importance of European manufacturing, and the growing role of CDMOs in development and commercialization, Suanfarma is entering a new phase.
Under the leadership of Pere Mañé Godina last year, the company is sharpening its strategy – strengthening its industrial platform, advancing its CDMO capabilities, and aligning its operations to compete as a reliable European partner for complex pharmaceutical projects.
In this interview, Pere shares his perspective on leadership during transformation, what defines CDMO excellence today, the realities of rebuilding European API capacity, and how Suanfarma is positioning itself for long-term, sustainable growth.
Q1: You stepped into Suanfarma at a moment of transformation. Which challenges within Suanfarma did you find most compelling, and how are they shaping the way you are steering the company today?
A: When I stepped into Suanfarma, I found a company with strong industrial assets, international reach, and a solid reputation in APIs alongside emerging CDMO capabilities. The opportunity was not to build something from scratch, but to bring greater strategic focus, efficiency, and scale to what already existed.
As the environment becomes more competitive and more regulated, sustainable growth requires sharper strategic focus, stronger execution, and deeper integration across the organization.
Today, Suanfarma is entering a new phase of growth. Our priority is to strengthen the industrial platform, reinforce our core capabilities , and ensure we are positioned to grow as a sustainable global player in the development and manufacturing of the core of medicines. Transformation, in this context, is not about changing who we are. It is a about elevating how we operate.
Q2: With CDMO services expanding across the industry, customers can now choose from many different models and partners. In that context, what makes Suanfarma’s CDMO offering distinctive in terms of not only facilities but how you work with clients and support their development or commercialization plans? What kind of projects or partnerships are the best fit for your platform?
A: CDMO excellence today is not defined only by capacity or technology. It is defined by reliability, predictability, and the ability to execute complex projects without compromising quality or service.
At Suanfarma, our strength lies in combining fermentation and chemical synthesis capabilities with disciplined project management and strong regulatory expertise. We approach development and technology transfer with a structured, risk-based mindset, ensuring that scale-up and industrialization are anticipated from the very beginning.
We are particularly well positioned for complex small molecules that require scientific rigor, close collaboration, and long-term commitment. Ultimately, the most successful partnerships are those built on transparency, early engagement, and shared accountability If I had to summarize it in one word, it would be trust.
Q3: European API manufacturing and CDMO capacity are now widely seen as critical for the continent’s resilience and strategic autonomy. From your perspective, is Europe succeeding in rebuilding that capability? Where do you think the continent is doing well today, and where is it still falling short?
A: Today, Europe remains a benchmark in quality, regulatory standards, and scientific expertise. These are structural strengths that should not be underestimated.
However, resilience requires more than compliance. It requires scale, competitiveness, and sustained industrial investment. The challenge for Europe is to combine its regulatory excellence with faster decision-making and stronger support for advanced manufacturing technologies.
In recent years, European players have demonstrated how critical they are to the resilience of the global pharmaceutical supply chain. At Suanfarma, we believe we can heavily contribute to that effort through our European industrial network— reinforcing European-based fermentation and synthesis capabilities- and our global commercial and supply chain capabilities, which are critical to remain competitive.
Q4: Suanfarma combines API manufacturing, development, CDMO services, and distribution. Where does this integrated model genuinely simplify life for customers, and can you share one or two concrete examples? Where do you still see room to improve?
A: Suanfarma operates through three business lines: CDMO services, API distribution, and our own API portfolio. This combination allows us to offer different solutions under the same quality standards and regulatory framework.
For customers, the advantage is flexibility. They can secure supply through our distribution network, develop and scale complex molecules with our CDMO team, or source products from our own portfolio. We adapt to their regulatory and commercial needs with the same operational discipline and long-term supply commitment.
Our objective is to simplify their path from development to supply, while ensuring reliability and long-term partnerships.
At the same time, we continue to invest in digital transformation to further streamline processes and strengthen execution across all our activities.
Q5: Your appointment was closely linked to industrial consolidation and investment. Where are you prioritizing investments today – technology, capacity, capabilities, or geography – and why?
A: Our priority is to strengthen our platform before expanding further.
We are investing in advanced technologies such as flow chemistry and high-potency capabilities, while improving operational efficiency across our sites. At the same time, we continue to develop our own API portfolio and CDMO capabilities to increase technical depth and differentiation.
The objective is clear: build a more robust, scalable, and competitive industrial platform that can sustain long-term growth.
Q6: To deliver on an integrated CDMO and manufacturing strategy, people and execution matter as much as assets. What kind of skills, mindset, and culture are you prioritizing inside Suanfarma today, and how do you see automation and digitalization evolving alongside your teams in the coming years?
A: Scaling the organization requires a clear strategy, but also discipline, transparency, and determination to execute it. I believe that our organization already has the capabilities needed, and we are reinforcing a culture based on accountability, accountability, transparency, and collaboration.
Clear objectives, measurable performance, operational excellence, and strong leadership are essential to scale sustainably.
At the same time, Automation, digitalization, and AI are key enablers. We are modernizing our systems, strengthening our ERP backbone, and exploring AI-driven tools to improve planning, quality management, and operational performance.
Technology does not replace expertise and customer excellence; it amplifies our teams’ capabilities and strengthens execution across the organization.
Q7: If we look five to ten years ahead, how do you envision Suanfarma’s role in the global pharmaceutical ecosystem – and what would success look like under your leadership?
A: Over the next five to ten years, I see Suanfarma consolidating as a relevant European player in the development and manufacturing of active pharmaceutical ingredients,
This means strengthening our industrial base, expanding our technological capabilities, and executing international projects alongside leading pharmaceutical innovators, while continuing to develop our proprietary portfolio and commercial reach.
Success will ultimately be measured by sustainable and profitable growth, and the trust of our customers and the positive impact we deliver to patients, partners, and society.
Our ambition is to grow responsibly, maintain strong European manufacturing capabilities, and continue contributing to high-quality APIs that foster healthier lives worldwide.
Visit Suanfarma’s profile on Pharmaoffer and review their manufacturing network, CDMO services, and available products.
