Tara Dougal is event director for pharma at Informa Markets.

Tara Dougal

CPHI Milan 2026: Trends in Pharma

Tara Dougal, event director for Pharma at Informa Markets and head of 

, discussed how artificial intelligence (AI) and technology are reshaping the pharmaceutical industry across multiple fronts, along with a new sustainability-focused offering at this year's event.

Dougal noted that AI technology now touches nearly every part of the business, from manufacturing optimization and quality management to regulatory compliance and commercial decision-making. She highlighted specific areas seeing rapid change. Cold chain and logistics have grown more critical as supply chains handle increasingly complex networks along with a growing volume of temperature-sensitive products and advanced therapies. Contamination control remains foundational to product quality, patient safety, and compliance, with expectations around sterile manufacturing continuing to rise. Labeling is also evolving quickly, driven by serialization, track-and-trace requirements, anti-counterfeiting measures, and a broader push toward more sustainable solutions.

Building on that sustainability theme, Dougal announced the launch of a brand-new Sustainability Summit at this year's event. The paid conference will run on the first 2 days of the show and is designed to offer attendees a genuine deep dive into the biggest sustainability challenges facing pharma. It aims to bring together a targeted, high-value audience of professionals genuinely committed to driving better outcomes across the industry.

Dougal emphasized that while sustainability itself isn’t a new topic for pharma, this summit is meant to push the conversation past broad statements of ambition and into practical, actionable territory. The focus will be on what companies can actually do, what barriers stand in their way, what they can learn from one another, and how different parts of the supply chain can collaborate to drive real, actionable change.

Dougal’s remarks point to 2 connected trends shaping CPHI Milan in 2026: the accelerating role of AI and technology across manufacturing, compliance, and logistics, and a sharper, more action-oriented focus on sustainability as a core industry priority rather than an aspirational talking point.

Click the above video to watch the interview.

Videos

PharmTech spoke with Tara Dougal, event director for pharma at Informa Markets, about trends impacting the pharmaceutical industry and how CPHI Milan is addressing these areas this year.

An Introduction to CPHI Milan 2026

Tara Dougal, event director for pharma at Informa Markets and head of 

, previews the 2026 show in an interview with 

. The event, which is happening from October 6-8, 2026, is expanding with 4 new zones: artificial intelligence (AI) and tech, cold chain and logistics, contamination control, and labeling. Dougal frames the event's growth strategy not as making the show bigger, but as mirroring where industry investment and demand are actually moving.

The new zones reflect areas that are increasingly central to how medicines are developed, manufactured, and delivered, according to Dougal. AI is being utilized to optimize manufacturing and regulatory compliance; cold chain has grown more critical as supply chains handle more temperature-sensitive and advanced therapies; contamination control underpins product quality and sterile manufacturing standards; and labeling is evolving through serialization, track-and-trace, and sustainability demands. Dedicated zones, Dougal explains, give attendees clearer navigation toward specialist technologies and services.

, which is running the first 2 days of the show. The Summit is expected to bring industry conversation from broad ambition toward practical, actionable steps across the supply chain.

Dougal highlights Milan as a natural host: Italy has a strong pharma manufacturing base and global supply chain role, plus the international connectivity the event's scale requires, alongside the city's broader appeal for business, food, and culture.

Planning ahead and prioritizing key meetings is essential, but Dougal advises attendees to leave room for unplanned discovery, because some of the best connections at CPHI happen unexpectedly. She encourages visitors to step outside their usual area of expertise, explore the new zones, and take time to enjoy Milan itself, noting CPHI’s website offers hotel, city pass, and flight discount resources to help attendees prepare.

According to Dougal, CPHI is evolving alongside the pharmaceutical industry's shifting priorities, such as sustainability, technology, and increasingly specialized expertise, while keeping the event's networking and discovery value intact.

Tara Dougal, Event Director for Pharma, Informa Markets

Tara Dougal is Event Director–Pharma at Informa Markets, where she leads the CPHI Europe event. Tara brings over 12 years of extensive event management experience spanning roles in New York, London, and Amsterdam. She previously held the position of Content Director before advancing to her current leadership role.

At CPHI, Tara plays a crucial role in creating connections and inspiring partnerships across the global pharmaceutical community, championing innovation at the heart of pharma through both in-person and online events.

PharmTech spoke with Tara Dougal, event director for pharma at Informa Markets, about what’s new for CPHI Milan this year, including 4 new zones and a Sustainability Summit.

Tara Dougal

Articles