US-based technology and consulting services provider Cognizant has agreed to acquire Zenith Technologies, an Irish life sciences manufacturing company.
Image: The acquisition is expected to close in the third quarter of 2019. Photo: Courtesy of rawpixel from Pixabay.
Cognizant said that Zenith is focused on implementing digital technologies to manage, control and optimize drug and medical device production for operational efficiency and regulatory compliance.
In addition, the transaction is expected to further strengthen its capabilities for designing, implementing and managing end-to-end operational and information technology systems for connected biopharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers.
According to the company, research advances and expanding demand for large-molecule biologics has made interconnected smart factories with production systems and processes a strategic priority for the industry.
Through combination of Cognizant-Zenith expertise, a range of Industry 4.0 capabilities are expected to be delivered, from factory design consultation, machine sensor and controller instrumentation, supervisory control, and data acquisition, to manufacturing execution systems, batch automation, enterprise resource planning integration and managed services.
Cognizant chief executive officer Brian Humphries said: “Industry 4.0 solutions, encompassing Internet of Things (IoT), automation and analytics, are a strategic focus area for Cognizant. In acquiring Zenith Technologies, we expand Cognizant’s IoT portfolio and extend our life sciences domain expertise by becoming a single-source provider of end-to-end smart factory capabilities.
“Together, we are better positioned to help clients realize information and operational technology convergence in their manufacturing operations, and advance the development of life-saving drugs, biologics, specialized pharmaceuticals and medical devices. We look forward to welcoming Zenith Technologies’ employees to Cognizant.”
The acquisition is expected to close in the third quarter of 2019, subject to satisfaction of closing conditions, including regulatory review.
Zenith Technologies chief executive officer Joe Haugh said: “In joining Cognizant, we are bringing together two respected life sciences service provider brands with complementary technology and manufacturing operations expertise. It’s an exciting time for us, with the life sciences industry embracing digital transformation to enable more flexible and efficient manufacturing facilities to bring new treatments to market faster.
“Our combined business will drive process excellence through tighter integration of manufacturing processes and systems, the efficient harnessing of information and analytics across the manufacturing value chain, and the adoption of IoT technologies delivering manufacturing 4.0. Together, we are well-positioned to help clients more efficiently produce the life-changing medicines and medical devices for patients who need them most.”