Leveraging New Technologies To Optimize And Accelerate R&D

Ingrid Ekman is Director of R&D at Cambrex Karlskoga, Sweden, where she has worked for over 30 years. She holds a Master of Science in Chemical Engineering and a Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry, both from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology.

Since joining the site in 1994 to lead its Technology Platform, she has moved through roles as Senior Scientist and project manager for New Product Development, then Head of Chemical Development in 2002, before taking her current position in 2006. Her expertise covers the development, optimization, and scale-up of chemical processes, design of experiments and Quality by Design, and impurity control strategy.

Asked how new technologies can optimize and accelerate R&D, Ekman makes the case for gathering more data, systematically, during development. Tools such as design of experiments map the boundaries of a process, exposing its limitations early and building the understanding needed to prepare for commercial manufacturing.