An Industry Gathers in Dubrovnik, Looking for Answers

The Adriatic coastline set the scene, but the atmosphere inside the NextPharma Summit made this event unforgettable. Dubrovnik welcomed more than 400 life sciences leaders this May, each bringing their own questions, hopes, and visions for the pharmaceutical industry’s future.

The agenda was packed with the language of transformation—AI, omnichannel, personalisation, and cross-functional collaboration. But as the sessions unfolded, it became clear that beneath these ambitions lay a shared uncertainty. We all know change is necessary. The challenge is knowing where to begin and how to ensure that change lasts.

AI at the Forefront—But Built on What?

AI was the star of the show. From machine learning-driven segmentation to automated next-best actions, every presentation referenced smarter systems. But as the conversations deepened, one theme began to surface repeatedly: data readiness.