Microsoft and SkyCell Collaborate on Pharma Supply Chain Logistics

SkyCell announced on April 7, 2025 that it is collaborating with Microsoft to integrate SkyMind, SkyCell’s artificial intelligence (AI)-powered supply chain solution, with Microsoft Teams and Copilot based on Azure OpenAI Service. The collaboration will enable those working in the pharmaceutical supply chain to access real-time shipment data, predictive insights, and automated alerts within a Microsoft system, according to SkyCell (1).

SkyCell will use Microsoft’s ecosystem to enhance monitoring and provide full visibility of the supply chain using Azure AI Foundry. It will also use SkyCell’s K.AI intelligent assistant, which monitors shipments, assesses risks, and suggests real-time solutions. It also allows for the streamlining of product release through automated reporting and electronic resource planning integration. Data can be quickly accessed by stakeholders, who can then share that data with relevant parties, making communication more seamless. The partnership is combined with SkyCell’s 24/7 AI-enabled control tower and support team.

“SkyCell’s intelligent assistant, K.AI, along with Microsoft's Teams and Copilot, are revolutionizing the pharmaceutical logistics industry by ensuring real-time monitoring, risk assessment, and seamless communication,” ‍Richard Ettl, CEO of SkyCell, said in a press release (1). “This collaboration is crucial for transforming data into actionable insights, thus preventing product loss and enhancing efficiency in the supply chain.”

“Pharma companies already have established platforms and workflows that they use to manage their operations efficiently,” Nico Ros, CTO of SkyCell, said in the release. “We understand this, which is why our collaboration with Microsoft ensures that pharma companies and supply chain teams can leverage SkyMind’s power directly within Microsoft Teams and Copilot.”

"By harnessing the transformative power of AI through Microsoft Azure OpenAI, SkyCell is advancing pharmaceutical logistics to create safer, more efficient supply chains,” Elena González-Blanco García, EMEA Digital Natives Technical Director at Microsoft, said in the release. “This approach will ensure that vital treatments reach patients swiftly and securely, ultimately driving impactful progress in the industry."

SkyCell currently monitors five million shipments a year and believes the collaboration with Microsoft will accelerate digitalization in the pharma industry.

Automation, AI, and machine learning are hot topics in the pharma industry. At INTERPHEX 2025, held in New York City in April, “Pharma 4.0” was discussed heavily. Data collected as part of CRB’s Horizon Life Sciences report showed that 31% of industry stakeholders saw automation and digital transformation as key priorities for capital investment projects presently or in the near future. In a presentation at INTERPHEX 2025 titled The Future of Biomanufacturing, Peter Walters, fellow, advanced therapies at CRB, discussed additional results from the report that shed light on priorities in both the lab and on the production floor, including AI, automation, and continuous manufacturing (2).

There is still caution around the use of AI in pharma, however (2). “I know for some people the idea of AI in a cGMP [current good manufacturing practice]-regulated setting could be a little unnerving, but it doesn't mean that we're handing over the sole finish to our robot overlords; it's a lot more like mechanical systems that have AIs on board to moderate themselves and look for mechanical issues in advance of them happening,” Walters explained. “I think where we also are seeing it is where you've got manufacturing steps that have to have very complex decision trees; you're still having a person make those decisions, but you're having AI models that can support that decision-making.”

Automation is being utilized in the areas of quality, throughput, and operator autonomy within the pharmaceutical industry, according to Peter Sarvey, head of Sales for Automation NTH, and the cost of using automation has decreased in the past two years. Meanwhile, the accuracy of these tools is increasing. The use of AI, which has been used in the “vision side” of automation according to Sarvey, is also increasingly starting to be used in the inspection side of manufacturing (3).

Pharmaceutical Technology® interviewed Sarvey at INTERPHEX 2025. The full interview can be found on PharmTech.com.

References

1. SkyCell. SkyCell and Microsoft Announce Collaboration to Bring Copilot into Pharma Supply Chains. Press Release. April 7, 2025.

2. Bigica, A. Pharma 4.0: What are Industry Leaders Prioritizing in the Modernization of Pharmaceutical Manufacturing? PharmTech.com. April 3, 2025. https://www.pharmtech.com/view/pharma-40-what-are-industry-leaders-prioritizing-in-the-modernization-of-pharmaceutical-manufacturing-

3. Lavery, P. and Haigney, S. INTERPHEX 2025: AI and Automation in Pharma. PharmTech.com. April 2, 2025.