CDMO Competitive Edge: Empowering Strategic Decisions and Product Excellence Across the USA and Europe

Objective: Mapping the Outsourcing Frontier

The primary objective of this case-study was to assist a European-based CDMO client in gaining a clear, strategic view of the competitive landscape in the USA and Europe. DelveInsight was engaged to conduct a comprehensive competitor assessment in the pharmaceutical CDMO sector - spanning service portfolios, manufacturing capabilities, distribution strategies and product specifications.

By doing so, the client aimed to support strategic decision-making, refine product profiling and strengthen their competitive positioning in the global outsourcing market.

Problem Statement: Navigating a Complex, Fragmented Market

The CDMO industry in the US and Europe is characterised by rapid growth, fragmentation, and a wide spectrum of services (small molecules, biologics, cell/gene therapies). The key problems identified included:

• Mapping and analysing active CDMO companies across both geographies.
• Evaluating distribution strategies which influence time-to-market and regional reach.
• Examining varied service portfolios and overlapping product offerings in an evolving market.
• Understanding technical product specifications (manufacturing technologies, quality standards) and the core strengths of individual CDMOs (regulatory compliance, partnerships, global scale).

Without a structured approach, the client risked sub-optimal partner selection, missed market segments, or lagging behind competitors in the outsourcing ecosystem.

Our Methodology: Acquire • Interpret • Recommend (AIR-Specific)

• Acquire: DelveInsight mapped active CDMOs in Europe and the USA, gathering secondary & primary intelligence to build a robust database of competitor entities.
• Interpret: The team conducted a competitive landscape analysis profiling companies, assessing service portfolios (small molecules, biologics, cell therapies), manufacturing capacity, site locations, therapeutic focus, and outreach strategy.
• Recommend: The output included strategic implications for the client: segments of growth (e.g., protein manufacturing, cell therapy), gaps in the client’s own offering, and recommendations for partner-selection, geographic expansion and product profiling. This structured insight, offered by DelveInsight, empowered the client to make informed outsourcing decisions.

Results: Strategic Insight with Tangible Impact

As a result of this AIR-based methodology, the client gained:

• A clear mapping of competitive CDMO capabilities in the US and Europe, enabling smarter benchmarking.
  Insights into high-growth service segments (pre‐clinical execution, antibodies, cell therapies, protein manufacturing) and where capacity is concentrated.
• Evidence-based strategic guidance to refine product profiling and distribution strategy, strengthen manufacturing footprint, and align their outsourcing model with market trends.
• Through using DelveInsight’s tailored competitive intelligence offering, the client could refine their go-to-market approach and improve partner selection in a complex landscape.

In essence, this case-study demonstrates how DelveInsight’s expertise in competitive intelligence and market assessment enabled a CDMO player to convert data into strategic advantage. By following the AIR framework (Acquire, Interpret, Recommend) and leveraging tailored research, the client was better positioned to navigate the outsourcing ecosystem in the USA and Europe.