Digital twins: Revolutionising vaccine trial site procurement in developing countries

Gourab Ray, Category Buyer, Sanofi Healthcare India, draws from his experience and real-world challenges, to explain how digital twins bring predictive power and resilience to vaccine trial procurement

- By Gourab Ray

Having spent significant years navigating the complex landscape of pharma procurement across developing countries, I've witnessed firsthand the challenges that can make or break vaccine clinical trials. From equipment failures in the Philippines that compromised an entire cold chain to customs delays in Malaysia and Vietnam that held up critical trial supplies for weeks, these experiences have taught me that traditional procurement approaches simply aren't equipped for the unique demands of vaccine trials in resource-constrained environments.

The emergence of digital twin technology represents what I believe to be the most significant advancement in procurement risk management since the introduction of enterprise resource planning systems. Unlike conventional monitoring tools, digital twins create comprehensive virtual replicas of entire procurement ecosystems, enabling us to predict problems before they occur and optimise resource allocation in ways that were previously impossible.

The global healthcare digital twin market's explosive growth—from $4.47 billion in 2025 to a projected $169.46 billion by 2032—reflects an industry-wide recognition that these technologies are no longer experimental but essential for competitive advantage¹. For vaccine trials in developing countries, where infrastructure limitations and regulatory complexities create cascading operational risks, digital twins offer a path toward truly resilient procurement operations.

The procurement reality in developing countries