BIOPHARM: A Strong Commitment To Innovation Through Its Partnership With Universities

Biopharm’s collaboration with universities isn’t new. It started at the beginning of Biopharm’s production activities in 2004 and the launch of R&D lab activities in 2007, with more than a dozen master-level consultants providing their expertise and technical assistance to R&D, regulatory, and even production teams in the fields of pharmaceutical science and technology and ethnobotany. This has led to the formulation of several products (medications, medical devices, and dietary supplements) currently marketed in the Algerian market.

In 2021, thanks to the insightful vision of its top management, this lab (R&D) equipped with cutting-edge infrastructure and high-level scientific expertise expanded by becoming an R&D division, relying on 2 research and development laboratories, thereby contributing to the increase in the capacity to develop more than 40 products per year, allowing for the continuous development and optimisation of innovative therapeutic solutions, and meeting regulatory requirements and the needs of patients.

A strategy of openness towards universities to build the future:

The Biopharm Group reinforces its commitment to the scientific and academic community by establishing partnerships, materialised by the signing of several agreements. This close collaboration not only stimulates innovation in the pharmaceutical field but also contributes to the development of scientific research in Algeria. In recent years, Biopharm has signed several partnership agreements with Universities and prestigious Schools such as National Polytechnic School of Algiers (ENP), National School of Computer Science (ENSI), Higher School of Sciences and Technologies (ESST), University of Blida, University of Science and Technology Houari Boumediene (USTHB), University of Bouira, University of Health Sciences of Algiers and, most recently, the University of Tizi Ouzou. Biopharm plans to extend this partnership to other universities in the upcoming years, according to its needs.

Several reasons justify these choices. The University of Blida and USTHB have been selected due to the quality of training in Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctorate programs in the fields of Industrial Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Engineering, which directly relate to the core of our profession, which is drug development and manufacturing. Another reason is the existence, within these two universities, of research laboratories made up of teams of researchers who have specialised for several years in the issues of pharmaceutical research and innovation.

As for the University of Bouira, which is located about a hundred kilometres east of Algiers, it is not far from the new industrial site of Biopharm Oued El Berdi. This proximity naturally creates bridges between the university and the industrial site, with young graduates quickly finding their place. The universities of health sciences of Algiers, particularly its Faculty of Pharmacy and the University of Tizi Ouzou, provide training for doctors of pharmacy. This represents a considerable advantage for Biopharm, which benefits from a skilled workforce, especially for regulatory affairs and quality assurance.

The National Polytechnic School of Algiers (ENP) and the National School of Computer Science of Algiers (ENSI) are two prestigious engineering schools in Algeria. They train polytechnic engineers for one and computer engineers for the other. The choice of these two schools was motivated by their levels of excellence in industrial management and innovation, electronics and automation for ENP, and disruptive technologies such as artificial intelligence and the use of big data for ENSI. Biopharm is indeed the first pharmaceutical company in Algeria to have signed partnership agreements with these two leading schools. This allows Biopharm to meet the challenges of pharmaceutical innovation and R&D as well as the digital transition within its group.

Biopharm supports the university in training profiles suited to the needs of the pharmaceutical industry:

Together with the University of Blida and Bouira, Biopharm has participated in the development of vocational training programmes such as the Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in industrial pharmacy. The programme, taught at the University of Blida since 2011, has enabled the training of young graduates with Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in industrial pharmacy, ready to be recruited by Algerian pharmaceutical laboratories.

A new training programme was established in September 2021, in which Biopharm participated through the development of educational programmes, namely the Professional Master’s degree “STM science and technology of the drug”. The uniqueness of this training is that it brings together students from the three faculties (Process Engineering/ Chemistry/ Biology) of USTHB. The involvement of Biopharm executives in teaching specific modules related to the pharmaceutical industry provides students with a practical view of the education they receive.

The first graduating classes of students in the Master’s program in STM have been able to be recruited by Algerian pharmaceutical laboratories.

In parallel with its collaboration with universities, Biopharm signed an agreement with the Directorate of Training and Vocational Education of the Wilaya of Algiers in November 2022. This agreement concerns the creation and development of training programmes related to professions in the pharmaceutical industry. A first apprenticeship training programme, “Higher Technician Certificate (BTS) in Pharmaceutical Production”, has been established with the Modern Technologies Professional Training Center of Sbaat, not far from Algiers.

We are now in the 3rd cohort of this apprenticeship training course; the first cohort completed their programme in April 2025.

This is a great example of Biopharm Laboratories’ commitment to supporting the skills development of tomorrow’s pharmaceutical industry professionals.

Offering a first experience, Biopharm’s commitment to students:

As part of its partnerships with universities and prestigious engineering schools, Biopharm provides practical learning opportunities for students.

Since 2021, these collaborations have seen significant growth, increasing from 72 trainees in 2021 to 127 in 2022, then to 202 in 2023, and reaching a total of 314 trainees for the year 2024. This close collaboration between Biopharm and universities and schools aims to offer students an immersive experience in the pharmaceutical field to enrich their academic and professional journey. The goal of these visits is to allow students to discover industrial practices and deepen their knowledge of pharmaceutical production.

Workshop on pharmaceutical industry careers:

Biopharm is taking the first step towards universities by organising workshops on pharmaceutical industry careers. This is an opportunity to deploy a multi-year work programme in collaboration with its research partners to realise research projects that are monitored and evaluated periodically. These workshops took place in 2021 at the University of Blida and USTHB, in 2022 at the Faculty of Pharmacy in Algiers, the Higher School of Science and Technology (ESST), and finally at the University of Bouira.

During these workshops, Biopharm presents the professions in the pharmaceutical industry, such as production, maintenance, R&D, quality control, HSE (Health, Safety, and Environment), supply chain, quality management and technical regulation. In this context, researchers, laboratory directors, and university research teams are also given the opportunity to present their research work and areas of expertise. This approach allows for the identification of potentially interesting multi-year concrete research projects for Biopharm.

Biopharm: A Strong Commitment to Open Innovation 

The Biopharm Group asserts its position not only as a major player in the economic sphere but also in the field of research and development. In this dynamic, we promote collaborative innovation through the organisation of scientific events such as hackathons, bootcamps,… dedicated to the challenges of the pharmaceutical industry. These competitions, true catalysts of innovative ideas, allow researchers, engineers, and students or young startups to design solutions based on artificial intelligence, optimisation of production and supply processes, or even the development of innovative formulations. By fostering these initiatives, our laboratory actively contributes to the emergence of new scientific concepts and accelerates the technological transfer towards industrialisation.

Open Innovation is for Biopharm much more than a concept:

It is a strategic and pragmatic approach. At Biopharm, we firmly believe that by leveraging collective intelligence, we can break down barriers, push the boundaries of science and technology, and accelerate the implementation of solutions that will have a direct impact on the patient’s health.

Workshops ’48 hours to innovate and 5 minutes to convince’

Biopharm participated, in January 2021, in the 117th workshop ’48 hours to innovate and 5 minutes to convince’ organised by the ENP. The issues proposed by Biopharm and validated by the educational teams of the ENP focused on ‘the distribution and dispensing of medication in the digital age’ and also ‘how to secure the manufacturing and distribution chain of psychotropic medications in order to prevent theft’. Several innovative proposals were presented by the young students of the ENP, and the best ideas were rewarded and studied for implementation in the Biopharm processes.

National DZEEC Bootcamp

Between Biopharm and the scientific clubs of the University of BOUIRA, this national Bootcamp was organised on May 22, 23, and 24 of 2023, in collaboration with the University of Bouira “Akli Mohand Oulhadj” and several scientific clubs. The representatives of Biopharm conducted workshops in English over the course of 3 days, dedicated to students from more than 5 provinces of the country, addressing 3 issues submitted by Biopharm, which are: 1- Reducing energy consumption; 2- Intelligent management of pharmaceutical waste; 3- Mechanics, electronics, and industrial computing. At the end of the 3rd day, the groups of students presented their solutions in front of the audience, and the best were awarded following an evaluation carried out by university experts and representatives from Biopharm.

Participation in the event “Challenge of the Grandes Écoles”:

Biopharm participated in the national event “Challenge of the Grandes Écoles”, organised by the CAP Scientific Club (Club of Versatile Activities) of the ENP of Algiers, on May 16, 17, and 18 of 2024. On the first day, Biopharm presented her issue related to the challenges of the carbon footprint in the pharmaceutical industry, inviting students to form groups and devise practical and innovative solutions. At the end of the two days, the student groups presented relevant and innovative solutions to the audience. Biopharm’s commitment aims to support innovation and encourage the next generation to engage in environmental challenges.

Biopharm Hackathons: Stimulating Exploration, Creativity, and Innovation

On December 14, 15, and 16 of 2024, Biopharm Laboratories organised two national hackathons in Algiers, in partnership with the National Council for Scientific Research and Technology (CNRST), alongside 13 other hackathons organised by 7 major Algerian companies. These hackathons were held in anticipation of the national conference initiated by the CNRST with the theme “The National Innovation Strategy: Innovation Algeria Horizon 2027”. These events fully embodied Biopharm’s vision of “Open Innovation,” a fundamental pillar of its development strategy.

In this context, Biopharm Laboratories were honoured on December 21, 2024, by the National Council for Scientific Research and Technologies (CNRST) alongside 7 other Algerian partner companies. This distinction reflects Biopharm’s commitment to supporting research and scientific innovation, as well as its active role in the innovation ecosystem in Algeria. The topics proposed by Biopharm are relevant for the pharmaceutical industry, namely:

– The development of an artificial intelligence platform for the pharmaceutical research and development of stable and effective pharmaceutical formulations.

– The optimisation of the green supply chain and the reduction of the carbon footprint in the pharmaceutical industry.

Biopharm: Partner of Major Algerian Public Research Institutions

Biopharm is a member of the scientific council of ATRSSV (Thematic Agency for Research in Science and Technology). It is an Algerian public establishment of an administrative nature (EPA) whose main purpose is to develop intersectoral research in health and in the field of biomedical sciences through the research areas selected in the National Health Research Program (PNRS).

Another research institution also includes, among its members, a representative from Biopharm elected as vice president of the CNRST (National Council for Scientific Research and Technology). This advisory constitutional body is placed under the authority of the President of the Algerian Republic and is responsible for defining the main guidelines of the national policy for scientific research and technological development in Algeria. These two representatives from Biopharm, coming from the Algerian pharmaceutical industry sector, bear witness to Biopharm’s active commitment to implementing synergies between academic research and its industrial applications.

Biopharm launches its own scientific event: BSAM

With the creation of the ‘Biopharm Scientific Annual Meeting – BSAM’, Biopharm asserts its intention to bring together experts, researchers, and industry players around a dedicated space for exchange focused on innovation and scientific and technological progress.

This scientific event, dedicated to research and development in the pharmaceutical field, allows researchers and specialists, both national and international, to exchange and present the results of their research each year in front of experts and their professional counterparts. Since the first edition in 2020, we have seen massive participation from young researchers from universities who present the results of their research in the form of poster communications. The best contributions are selected by the scientific council and receive recognition.

The current themes for the Algerian pharmaceutical industry focus on applied medical sciences for drugs (pharmacology, toxicology, pharmacognosy, microbiology, etc.) and pharmaceutical technologies (pharmaceutical processes, separation techniques, analytical methods, environmental techniques, etc.). and have covered the following topics in previous editions:

BSAM1: ‘Pharmaceutical Products: Development and Mastery’

BSAM2: ‘The Pharmaceutical Industry and the Health Environment’

BSAM3: ‘Drugs Derived from Biotechnology: Development, Manufacturing, Control, and Regulatory Context’

BSAM4: ‘Radiopharmaceutical Products: Contexts and Development Perspectives’

BSAM5: ‘Rare Diseases: From Diagnosis to Treatment’

Alongside the conferences, sessions for poster presentations are scheduled. The day concludes with a round table organised in a panel format. Each year, the BSAM brings together the academic and industrial worlds and allows the sharing of experiences from international and national experts. At the end of these scientific days, two deliverables summarising the various recommendations from the panel and those from the conferences, gathered during these rich scientific days, are sent to the supervisory authorities.