Data science tools and applications on the way to Pharma 4.0

Multiple obstacles are driving the digital transformation of the biopharmaceutical industry. Novel digital techniques, often marketed as 'Pharma 4.0', are thought to solve some long-existing obstacles in the biopharma life cycle. Pharma 4.0 concepts, such as cyberphysical systems and dark factories, require data science tools as technological core components. Here, we review current data science applications at various stages of the bioprocess life cycle, including their scopes and data sources. We are convinced that the scope and usefulness of these tools are currently limited by technical and nontechnical problems experienced during their development and deployment. We suggest that the establishment of DevOps mind- and toolsets could improve this situation and would be essential cornerstones in the further development of Pharma 4.0 systems.