CDMO Growth Report 2025

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Navigating the turning point: Strategic priorities for CDMOs and pharma

As the CDMO landscape emerges from a steady but uneven 2024, new dynamics are reshaping how CDMOs and pharma companies collaborate. From capacity constraints and pricing pressure to digital readiness gaps and evolving partnership models, the environment is becoming increasingly complex.

Our latest survey with 100+ CDMO and PharmaCo industry leaders, conducted in collaboration with PharmaSource, examines how these forces are impacting CDMO-pharma relationships, investment priorities, and the strategic capabilities required to compete in a more demanding market environment. 

Discover how leading players are preparing for today's dynamic landscape and what actions you can take to stay ahead.

Explore the latest trends

Key themes shaping the year ahead

  • Market performance & growth outlook

  • Outsourcing & manufacturing capacity

  • Partnership priorities & collaboration gaps

  • Digital readiness & innovation opportunities

Discover more insights

Market performance & growth outlook


While 2024 was marked by modest gains, 2025 picks up speed, particularly among CDMOs. Early-phase CDMOs are particularly optimistic, with over 80% expecting improved results in 2025. Yet emerging biopharma remains divided, and large molecule CDMOs are notably more cautious.

capacity chart

Outsourcing & manufacturing capacity


Capacity constraints are expected to become a key challenge in 2025. Over 70% of established pharma companies anticipate moderate to significant constraints. For CDMOs, late-phase and end-to-end CDMOs view tightened capacities as a natural consequence of rising demand, which strengthens their strategic value to pharma companies seeking reliable scale. 

capacity chart

Partnership priorities & collaboration gaps


While both CDMOs and pharma companies agree on core factors that define partnership success, their top priorities diverge. CDMOs emphasize speed and flexibility, whereas pharma companies prioritize reliability and communication. These misalignments highlight the need for segment-specific engagement strategies to build stronger, long-term partnerships.

collaboration chart

Digital readiness & innovation opportunities


Digitization becomes a core capability, with over 60% of pharma companies citing AI as critical to process optimization. In contrast, lagging adoption among CDMOs risks widening the gap. While CDMOs are actively investing in technologies like continuous manufacturing, they are often less focused on areas prioritized by pharma, such as predictive maintenance and quality control.

 CDMOEstablished pharmaEmerging biopharma
Artificial intelligence (AI)28%41%39%
Continuous manufacturing35%33%28%
Advanced automation and robotics20%22%17%
Novel drug delivery platform technologies14%19%22%
Process analytical technology (PAT)13%30%39%
Predictive maintenance11%26%17%

How we've helped

How to boost profitability and embed a value-based selling mind-set

Discover how we helped an underperforming CDMO reverse declining profitability by embedding a value-based selling mindset

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A CDMO success story: Improving pricing strategy and identifying new modalities

Discover how we helped a leading CDMO shape its modality price/value positioning

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Building a price quotation tool for a global CDMO

Discover how we improved our client's pricing and quotation management process to reduce time-to-quote

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Helping a biotech leader monetize cell line solutions

Explore how we helped an industry leader capitalize on their new bioprocess solutions for cell and gene therapy applications

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Our capabilities

At Simon-Kucher, we help CDMOs navigate market dynamics by aligning commercial models with segment-specific needs, accelerating technology adoption, and shaping pricing and engagement strategies. With over 40 years’ experience, we empower you to unlock better growth in healthcare.

Innovation and growth strategies

Unlock sustainable growth by developing forward-looking strategies that foster innovation across modalities, services, and business models. With a track record of supporting CMDMO leaders worldwide, we leverage emerging technologies, customer insights, and market trends to help you drive long-term competitive differentiation.

Needs-based segmentation

Develop precise, needs-based customer segmentation models with clear commercial implications to enable improved targeting, client centricity, and engagement across priority segments.

Differentiated sales engagement model

Build differentiated sales and marketing strategies with impact. At Simon-Kucher, we help you tailor engagement plans and optimize resource allocation to drive better lead generation and higher conversion rates.

Value-added service offering design

Design value-added services that elevate your core offerings. We help you create impactful solutions that enhance client experiences, strengthen loyalty, and boost customer lifetime value.

Value-based pricing logic

Set optimal project prices by integrating all relevant internal and external value drivers, alongside customer willingness to pay, to ensure the full value of the offering is captured and monetized effectively.

Win-win pricing models

Design innovative, win-win revenue and pricing models, such as outcome- and performance-based pricing, that align incentives, share risk, reduce barriers to entry, and strengthen strategic client partnerships.

Meet our team

Kaan-Fabian Kekec
Kaan-Fabian Kekec
Partner
Frankfurt, Germany
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Clarita Simon
Clarita Simon
Senior Manager
Munich, Germany
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Chuck Gammal
Chuck Gammal
Partner
Boston, USA
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Michael Roh
Michael Roh
Partner
Seoul, South Korea
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