This month, Han Steutel joins our expert special. Mr. Steutel is President of the German Association of Research-Based Pharmaceutical Companies (VFA).
1. From your perspective, what is the outlook for your industry over the next 12 months?
In Germany, much will depend on how the pharmaceutical strategy adopted by the federal government is brought to life. We see good approaches in the paper to secure the location – both for research and for production. Whether this actually succeeds now depends on the specific design.
2. How do you think the working environment and staff have changed since the pandemic?
The desire for mobile working has come to stay. The home office as THE ONE place to work has outlived its usefulness. But many are still looking for the right mix of remote work and working together in one location. This development is not yet complete.
3. What do you consider to be the most important skills in a professional environment?
Open and honest dealings with all employees. This is one of the necessary prerequisites without which there can be no long-term success.
4. How do you assess the further development of AI?
We are witnessing a rapid development. Which dismays me a little: In our industry – and not only in our industry – one advanced training course for professional and efficient prompting follows the next.
But, instead of preparing the next generation of academics for this change, the use of AI is being left out of schools and universities are more concerned with how AI components can be identified and penalized in work. I don’t think that’s an effective approach.
5 Where would you be today if you had taken a different career path?
I would either be a criminal defense lawyer or an English teacher at a grammar school. But I am extremely satisfied with the way it turned out.
