Building a Biosimilar Manufacturing Engine in Iceland At Scale and Under Pressure

• Biotechnology

Industry: Biologics / Biosimilars Manufacturing
Engagement Focus: High-volume Manufacturing, Quality, Regulatory, Tech Ops

Client Profile

Our client is a global biotechnology company focused exclusively on developing and manufacturing biosimilar medicines—lower-cost, high-quality equivalents to major biologic drugs. Headquartered in Reykjavik, Iceland, the company operates large-scale biologics manufacturing and process development facilities supporting global commercialization. They partner with major pharma organizations in the U.S. and Japan to bring biosimilars to market across immunology, rheumatology, ophthalmology, oncology-related bone disease, and chronic inflammatory conditions.

Following a regulatory setback in 2023, the company remediated those issues and went on to secure key U.S. FDA and Japanese approvals in 2024–2025. Their stated ambition is to become one of the world's leading biosimilar manufacturers.

The Challenge

When the Discover team began working with this client in 2023, the company faced an urgent challenge. Following a regulatory setback that year, they needed to rebuild credibility and get manufacturing back on track at their Reykjavik facility. That meant rapidly hiring around 100 specialized professionals—not remotely, but physically on-site in Iceland—across manufacturing, quality, regulatory, and technical operations.

• Reykjavik's small population meant almost no local biopharma talent pool or competitors to headhunt from
• Candidates needed to relocate internationally, many from Eastern Europe, Central Europe, and the Middle East
• The skill sets were narrow: biologics manufacturing, upstream/downstream processing, GMP, CMC, and tech ops
• Hiring volume and speed were both critical—production could not move forward without people on the ground

In short, Discover had to deliver technical scale-up talent under extreme location, volume, and timeline constraints—with global regulators watching.

The Approach

The engagement evolved into a full-scale talent buildout partnership combining scientific credibility, global sourcing, and constant client alignment.

• Scientific & Technical Calibration: Internal experts provided in-depth biosimilar manufacturing training, enabling the team to hold technically credible conversations with the client's heads of manufacturing, upstream, downstream, and tech ops
• Targeted Global Talent Mapping: Mapped competitor companies across Europe and the Middle East, focusing on regions with relevant GMP experience and realistic compensation levels for relocation—notably Eastern Europe and Egypt
• Relocation Positioning: Shifted messaging from location-first to mission-first—leading with opportunity, impact, and growth before introducing Iceland relocation—which increased candidate engagement
• High-Touch Client Communication: Weekly calls every Friday with HR and hiring managers across manufacturing, upstream/downstream, and tech ops; always-on Teams access; internal weekly pipeline reviews for alignment and velocity
• On-Site Immersion: The team visited Iceland, toured the manufacturing facilities, and gained firsthand knowledge to authentically sell the opportunity to candidates

The Results

• 24 manufacturing roles filled at the Reykjavik site, with approximately 20 more ongoing
• 6–7 regulatory placements delivered
• Ongoing hiring in quality, engineering, and tech ops
• 10 new requisitions added across quality, regulatory, and engineering functions
• Well over 1,000 candidates approached globally to achieve hiring targets

Business Impact

The talent delivered through this partnership directly supported the client's regulatory turnaround and global expansion. After its 2023 setback, the company secured FDA approval in 2024 for a key biosimilar product slated for U.S. launch in 2025 via a major pharma partner. In 2025, it achieved Japanese approvals for three additional biosimilars—including the first approval in a major market for one of those molecules. These commercial successes allowed the company to reinvest revenues into a pipeline of nine biosimilar products across Phases 1–3, expanding reach across the U.S., EU, APAC, and Japan.

Why It Worked

• Relentless sourcing and outreach—over 1,000 candidates contacted globally
• Structured intake and qualification—45–60 minute calls to properly scope roles and expectations
• Transparent market education—real-time updates on compensation, competitor activity, and relocation challenges
• Authentic messaging—candidates were told both the opportunity and the challenges upfront
• Unified delivery—cross-functional collaboration from delivery, contract, regulatory, and manufacturing specialists

Consultant Insight

"This is the benchmark—hard work and communication. We were on calls every week, qualified everything properly, were honest with candidates, and kept expectations tied to market reality."

Takeaway

This project demonstrates how Discover delivers under high regulatory pressure in complex global markets. It wasn't just about recruitment; it was about enabling the client to meet regulatory commitments, launch commercial products, and sustain global expansion. This model—combining technical credibility, relentless execution, and transparent communication—is now the benchmark for future biosimilar and biologics projects.