open data for research and strategic monitoring in the pharmaceutical and biotech industry

Abstract

Open data is considered the new oil. As oil can be used to produce fertilisers, pesticides, lubricants, plastics and many other derivatives, so data is considered the commodity to use and re-use to create value. The number of initiatives supporting free access to data has increased in the last years and open data is becoming the norm in the public sector; the approach empowers stakeholders and nurtures the economy. Even if at early stage, private companies also are adapting to the open data market. A survey was conducted to which thirteen companies of different size (from micro enterprises to world-leading pharmas) in the pharmaceutical and biotech sector and representing four business models archetypes of companies exploiting open data (aggregators, developers, enrichers and enablers) participated. The information collected provides a snapshot of the use of open data by the pharmaceutical and biotech industry in 2015–2016. The companies interviewed use open data to complement proprietary data for research purposes, to implement licensing-in/licensing-out strategies, to map partnerships and connections among players or to identify key expertise and hire staff. Pharmaceutical and biotech companies have made of the protection of knowledge a dogma at the foundation of their business models, but using and contributing to the open data movement may change their approach to intellectual property and innovation.