Biotechnology and pharmaceutical manufacturers have been looking for ways to improve operations, changeovers, and quality, and reduce costs. Depending upon the scale and specifics of the process and the automation requirements – disposable bags and equipment can often improve manufacturing efficiencies and reduce capital costs. For these reasons, the industry has seen rapid adoption of single-use or disposable technologies over the past five years.

This past weekend, I listened to a sermon about “own[ing] the podium,” which was the goal of the Canadian athletes heading into the Vancouver Olympics. The main question raised by the rabbi was this: What happens Monday morning, the day after the Olympics end, when the cameras go away and the world’s attention moves on to something else? Life goes on, and you can either choose to live in the past, standing on that same podium over and over again, or you can move forward with new ambitions and new podiums to strive for.