Balancing Speed and Quality in the Construction of Pharmaceutical Facilities

With increasing pressure to accelerate time to market, meet sustainability targets, and deliver flexible, future-ready facilities, this approach may no longer offer the speed or adaptability the sector increasingly requires.

Significant investment in the United Kingdom’s (UK) biotech sector, as reported by the UK BioIndustry Association in 2023, highlights the growing need for infrastructure that can support this rapid growth. With traditional construction timelines often unable to keep up with commercial and clinical demands, there is a clear case for faster, more flexible delivery models.

Other sectors, notably healthcare, have already embraced modular construction as a faster, smarter way to build. In the UK, the National Health Service (NHS) regularly uses modular and offsite construction methods to deliver complex healthcare environments, from operating theatres to ward blocks, in half the time of traditional construction. Given the similarities in regulatory and technical requirements, it's worth exploring why the pharmaceutical sector has been slower to adopt the same approach.

Shifting Perceptions—Addressing the Myths

Part of the hesitation stems from long-standing misconceptions about what modular construction is and what it can achieve.

There is often a perception that modular buildings are lower quality than traditionally built structures. In reality, modern modular facilities use exactly the same structural materials, for example steel, concrete, and high-performance finishes as conventional construction. The difference lies in the environment in which they are made. Factory-controlled production brings with it tighter quality assurance, greater consistency, and reduced risk of site-related defects.

One common misunderstanding is that modular buildings should automatically be cheaper. While costs are certainly competitive, the real value of modular construction is in its ability to reduce programme times. For pharmaceutical companies under pressure to deliver new products quickly, speed to market is a significant commercial advantage—often far outweighing marginal differences in upfront cost.

Another persistent misconception is that modular construction is only associated with temporary, short-term buildings. This couldn’t be further from the reality of today’s modular solutions, which are designed for longevity, technical performance, and future adaptability. Far from being standardized or inflexible, modern modular buildings offer extensive design freedom, supporting bespoke environments such as cleanrooms, laboratories, and specialist manufacturing spaces.

How Modular Can Help Pharma

The pharmaceutical sector’s operational challenges align closely with the strengths of modular construction. Speed is often the most obvious benefit. By manufacturing buildings offsite while site preparation is underway, modular construction can reduce programme durations by up to 50%. For companies competing to bring new drugs or therapies to market, this acceleration can be commercially critical.

But the advantages extend well beyond program efficiency. Modular buildings are inherently adaptable and are able to scale with demand, reconfigure for new processes, or be extended over time as operational needs evolve. This flexibility supports the pharmaceutical sector’s requirement for facilities that are both high-performance and future-ready.

Quality is another differentiator. In environments where technical compliance and validation are non-negotiable, the ability to deliver a highly controlled offsite build process is a major asset. Offsite manufacturing enables more rigorous quality control, supporting compliance with industry standards from the earliest stages of construction.

Sustainability is also front of mind for pharmaceutical businesses, not only as a corporate priority but as a key factor in securing project approvals and funding. Offsite manufacturing reduces waste, minimizes environmental disruption on site, and supports the delivery of net zero carbon buildings, aligning with the sector’s environmental, social, and governance (ESG) commitments and long-term strategic goals.

Learning from Healthcare

The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated many of these drivers. Pharmaceutical companies have faced increased pressure to deliver resilient, adaptable facilities quickly, while managing supply chain risks and fluctuating demand. This has sharpened the focus on certainty of delivery, cost predictability, and operational flexibility.

In parallel, clients are demanding higher-quality, more advanced facilities to support fast-track innovation in research, development, and manufacturing. Buildings need to be designed not just for current requirements but for future growth, new technologies, and evolving product pipelines.

Modular construction is uniquely placed to support this transition, but awareness within the sector remains relatively limited.

Healthcare’s adoption of modular construction provides a valuable precedent. In the UK, the NHS now routinely uses modular methods to deliver critical infrastructure projects at pace, without compromising on quality or compliance.

Many of the technical challenges encountered in healthcare, like infection control, specialist ventilation, and sensitive clinical environments, are directly comparable to those found in pharmaceutical facilities. The key difference is that pharmaceutical companies often have more direct procurement models, allowing them to move faster once a decision has been made.

By engaging modular construction partners early in the project lifecycle, ideally from feasibility stage onwards, pharma businesses can maximize the benefits of offsite manufacturing while shaping facilities that meet their precise operational requirements.

A Sector Ready to Embrace Change

As demand for new pharmaceutical facilities continues to grow, modular construction looks set to play an increasingly important role. Its ability to deliver faster, more sustainable, and future-proof buildings aligns directly with the sector’s strategic priorities. Yet making modular construction a default approach within pharma will require a mindset shift, from viewing it as a niche alternative to recognising it as a mainstream, high-performance solution.

This shift is already well underway in other industries. For pharmaceutical companies willing to challenge outdated assumptions and embrace a more innovative approach to construction, the opportunity is clear. Modular construction offers more than just speed. It brings flexibility, quality, and sustainability together in a way that traditional construction often struggles to match.

The question is no longer whether modular can deliver for pharma, but whether the industry is ready to take full advantage of what’s possible.