The Next Era of Quality:
Insights From Industry Leaders at the 2026 R&D and Quality Summit, Europe

Jun 24, 2026 | Robert Weisz

At Veeva R&D and Quality Summit, Europe in Copenhagen, almost 500 attendees gathered in the Quality Zone for two days of networking and best practice sharing. Quality leaders shared with peers how they are reimagining processes, adopting new technology, and improving ways of working.

From streamlining CDMO-sponsor collaboration to accelerating batch release and integrating AI, the key takeaway was that simplifying and standardizing quality processes drives a tangible business impact. As life sciences leaders explore and implement new applications to improve quality in their organizations, the industry is poised for an exciting evolution.

Data as the critical foundation for AI

Quality innovation using AI surfaced repeatedly as a discussion point at this year’s Summit. During the Quality Keynote, we heard from two industry leaders on successful AI strategies for quality.

Magalie Blackie, head of global quality services at Haleon, explained that in a quality context, AI is only as valuable and transformational as the data feeding it, while premature deployment amplifies existing data issues.

Sanofi’s Head of Quality Performance Transformation, Jean-Philippe Francou, recommended that quality leaders focus their AI implementation time and effort on laying a strong data foundation ahead of launch and roll-out across the organization.

“You can’t do anything with AI without quality data. That’s #1.
And to get quality data, you need standardized processes and digital solutions.” Magalie Blackie Head of Global Quality Services, Haleon

Magalie Blackie of Haleon and Jean-Philippe Francou of Sanofi
join Veeva’s President of Quality Cloud Mike Jovanis in the Quality Keynote, May 2026.

Watch the Quality Keynote recording to hear more AI quality strategy insights.

In a Quality Zone session about solving the right quality management pain points with AI, Novo Nordisk Director Hasse Schøbel reminded us that more data does not automatically equal a ‘better’ AI implementation. Instead, he recommends prioritizing data scope and quality over volume, and applying quality thresholds and controls when data is created so that it can work as an effective AI building block.

Quality leaders now recognize that standardized processes, and having the correct underlying applications, help deliver clean and connected datasets for deeper digital innovation.

Quality Cloud innovations and updates

For a conservative area like quality, understanding how to introduce AI safely and effectively remains a top focus for our customers. During the Quality Keynote, I shared our vision, strategy, and guiding principles for Vault AI. This covered specific agentic Vault AI capabilities we’re introducing and how they will increase efficiency across the board.

Presenting Vault AI’s agentic capabilities in the Quality Keynote

Alongside these AI innovations, the Quality Keynote outlined the broader Veeva Quality Cloud vision of optimizing and simplifying quality processes for greater efficiency. This includes recent advancements in our core applications, including:

• The new Document Viewer in Veeva QualityDocs
• Collaborative supplier questionnaires for expanded external collaboration in Veeva QMS
• How Veeva Validation Management, Veeva LIMS, and Veeva Batch Release reduce time to market

Watch the roadmap recordings to learn more about new and upcoming Quality Cloud product updates.

How life sciences leaders are modernizing quality

Thirteen Veeva customers shared their stories at Summit, explaining how modernizing quality management is improving efficiency for their organizations:

• AstraZeneca’s IT Director Paula Haynes shared her organization’s transformation of its validation approach, from using a bespoke tool to adopting Validation Management. It expects to cut cycle times by 20% and reduce event volumes with more right-first-time processes.
• Aenova Group’s VP of Quality Systems Excellence, Letizia Caccialupi, detailed her company’s migration to Quality Cloud. Aenova uses QMS, QualityDocs, and Veeva Training, and moved from a mixture of highly localized process variations to a single, globally standardized model requiring just 10 SOPs (down from 140 SOPs previously) for the processes implemented in Veeva.
• Sobi’s Petter Gallon, director of global quality systems, outlined why the company’s shift to fully outsourced manufacturing was underpinned by its launch of Batch Release. Sobi now has a single source of truth housing all QA data and supporting automated jurisdictional control, which makes batch release decision-making faster and more accurate than before.

Best practices from quality leaders

Quality leaders from a range of biopharma organizations shared other important insights with peers. Highlights include:

• Novo Nordisk’s Hasse Schøbel recommends maximizing AI impact by serving “the many, not the few” and applying AI to near-universal processes and pain points. Examples of high-impact areas to prioritize include document searching, reporting/trend generation, complaint handling, batch review, and writing/review assistance.
• A discussion group exchanged strategies for modernizing the QC lab, and identified lack of standardization as the biggest barrier to digital uptake in an industry area still largely dominated by paper-based processes.
• UCB’s Nadia Williams, head of IT compliance solutions, identifies digital validation processes as key for maximizing speed and inspection readiness. Nadia shared how UCB’s transition from “scattered” to “centralized” processes with Validation Management cut cycle time by 15%, with the company now targeting a 30% drop in CAPAs and audit actions related to validation.

Celebrating 2026 Quality Heroes

Every year, Veeva recognizes pioneering customers helping to advance life sciences. Our 2026 Quality Heroes pushed quality to new levels in their organizations, challenging the status quo to deliver better processes and outcomes.

• Strengthening global site collaboration to cut approval times: Birjo Backasch, director of global QA systems at medac, supported the move from fragmented, paper-based legacy systems to a unified platform that drives efficiency and compliance at scale.
• Modernizing quality processes for 9,000+ users across three diverse sectors: Holger Peitz, director of governance framework at Merck KGaA, replaced on-premises legacy systems with a modern, cloud-based quality management system spanning 66 countries.

Quality Heroes celebrated on stage

Head to Veeva Connect for more insights from the Quality Zone, including product roadmaps, keynotes, and customer and innovation theater sessions.