AI has the potential to transform every stage of the pharmaceutical life cycle. Its impact spans from research and development to manufacturing, improving manufacturing through better monitoring. To unlock this potential, the sector needs long-term infrastructure, clear adoption strategies and close collaboration between industry and academia.

These themes were discussed during a recent CIONET x LCL roundtable, where leaders from GSK, Johnson & Johnson and UCB joined the discussion. The session was led by Prof. Stein Aerts, Scientific Director at VIB.AI. His organisation pioneers a new generation of biological research through the integration of machine learning and computational biology.

This whitepaper distils the key insights from the roundtable and makes the case for Belgium to take the lead in housing AI infrastructure that supports life sciences, and safeguards European competitiveness.

From genome sequencing to clinical trials, secure access to high-quality data is critical for pharma and biotech. As artificial intelligence reshapes every stage of the life cycle, robust data governance has become indispensable.

With Europe reinforcing its data and AI regulations, and global powers like the US, China and Russia asserting stronger digital influence, the concept of data sovereignty has come to the forefront. It raises fundamental questions: Who controls the data? Where is it stored, and under whose jurisdiction? And how do we balance scientific openness with privacy, ethics and compliance?

These themes were explored during a recent CIONET x LCL roundtable, where leaders from GSK, Johnson & Johnson and UCB joined the discussion. The session was led by Prof. Stein Aerts, Scientific Director at VIB.AI. His organisation pioneers a new generation of biological research through the integration of machine learning and computational biology.

This whitepaper distils the key insights from the roundtable.