The privately-held life sciences manufacturing technology company Zenith Technologies has been acquired by Cognizant as it looks to extend its technology systems for biopharmaceuticals and medical device manufacturers.
Based in Cork, Ireland, Zenith specializes in the use of digital technologies to manage, control, and optimize drug and medical device production. Following this acquisition, the company will be known as Cognizant-Zenith technologies and will provide ‘Industry 4.0’ solutions. These solutions will include factory design consultation, supervisory control, and data acquisition, among others.
According to the company, ‘Industry 4.0’ solutions encompass Internet of Things (IoT), automation, and analytics, and are strategic areas of focus for the industry as “smart factories” arise.
These factories are interconnected and have become a greater area of interest as production and processing systems become more complex in parallel with an increased demand for large-molecule biologics.
Brain Humphries, CEO of Cognizant said in a statement, “In acquiring Zenith Technologies, we expand Cognizant’s IoT portfolio and extend our life sciences domain expertise by becoming a single-source provider of end-to-end smart factory capabilities.”
Cognizant-Zenith technologies’ operating hubs will be seen in Ireland, Germany, India, Singapore, and the US, with global sites located near manufacturing facilities of Cognizant’s clients.
The acquisition is expected to be complete in the third quarter of 2019. Financial details were disclosed. Once complete, it is estimated that more than 800 people will become part of Cognizant’s Life Sciences Business Unit.
