€150M
Typical European CRO revenue
5-year Business Plan at a Major European Contract Research Organization, Identifying 40% Growth Potential
A leading European contract research organization needed to shape its future path in an increasingly competitive pharmaceutical services market. Together, we developed a comprehensive five-year business plan that mapped market opportunities against organizational requirements. The collaboration identified clear pathways to achieve sustainable expansion across its service portfolio.
Industry: Life Sciences
Service: Operations Strategy and Transformation
Service: R&d and Product Profitability
Our Client
A contract research organization that helps large pharmaceutical companies to develop new products through multi-year research programs. Operating in a European CRO market, where companies typically generate around €150 million in revenues, it serves clients that increasingly outsource research and development activities.
The organization operates within a global industry where US CROs achieve valuations of $7–8 billion and beyond.
$7-8B
US CRO market valuations
5
Years of strategic planning horizon
The Challenge
The company faced the complex task of positioning for growth in an evolving pharmaceutical services landscape where scale and strategic focus determine competitive advantage.
- Market positioning uncertainty: Operating in a European market significantly smaller than US counterparts, the organization needed to identify its optimal growth trajectory and competitive positioning within the expanding CRO sector
- Sales expansion requirements: Developing effective strategies for expanding sales activities required deep understanding of target customers, market trends and service differentiation opportunities
- Organizational alignment needs: Supporting anticipated growth demanded a comprehensive review of existing operations, processes and organizational structure, to ensure scalability without compromising service quality
Real Results Achieved Together
The collaboration delivered a pragmatic business plan that transformed market insights into actionable growth strategies. Working alongside the company's leadership team, we created a comprehensive roadmap addressing both strategic and operational routes to sustainable expansion.
+40%
Identified growth potential
5-year
Comprehensive business plan
2
Young CEOs confidently aligned
Transformation Impact
- Established clear market positioning with identified target customers and product opportunities
- Created organizational blueprint adapting processes and structure for anticipated expansion
- Built leadership confidence in achieving ambitious yet realistic growth targets
Our Approach
We conducted extensive market analysis to understand the company’s position, identifying key industry trends and mapping potential customer segments. The engagement involved comprehensive industry studies that examined both European and global CRO dynamics, revealing specific opportunities for differentiation and growth.
The team developed a pragmatic business plan that went beyond traditional strategy documents. We identified major operational challenges, profiled potential customers and defined products that the company could successfully bring to market through detailed, unique analysis. This strategic foundation connected directly to operational realities, ensuring feasibility.
Following business plan development, we addressed the strategic aspects of operations, adapting the organization and its processes to support anticipated growth. We reviewed all activities for the next five years, creating alignment between strategic ambitions and operational capabilities.
This ongoing support continues, ensuring sustained momentum and adaptation as market conditions evolve.
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Facing Similar Growth Planning Challenges?
- Struggling to identify concrete growth opportunities in competitive pharmaceutical services markets
- Transforming market analysis into actionable strategies that align sales and operations
- Building operational excellence that scales with your ambitious growth targets
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