A Q&A with Kenneth Bilenberg, Group President & CEO of Avid Bioservices
Recently, the U.S. Department of Commerce released procedures allowing pharmaceutical companies to apply for company-specific tariff adjustments tied to U.S. onshoring commitments and domestic manufacturing investments.
The announcement is expected to accelerate industry conversations US-based manufacturing capacity.
To discuss what these developments may mean for the biopharma industry, we spoke with Kenneth Bilenberg, Group President & CEO of Avid Bioservices.
Meet the Expert
Kenneth Bilenberg
Group President & CEO
Kenneth Bilenberg currently serves as Group President and Chief Executive Officer and has more than 20 years of leadership experience in the life sciences sector. Prior to Avid, Mr. Bilenberg served as Chief Operating Officer of FUJIFILM Biotechnologies overseeing six global biomanufacturing facilities and more than 3,500 employees. He led over $8 billion in strategic capital investments to expand global capacity. Previous to this, Mr. Bilenberg held senior roles at Novo Nordisk across Denmark, the U.S., and China, contributing to global operations, investment governance, and site expansion. He began his career in technology with SAS Institute and SAP, where he built a strong foundation in data-driven solutions and enterprise systems.
Mr. Bilenberg holds an MBA and M.Sc. from Copenhagen Business School and an Executive Certificate from Harvard Business School
Q&A
Q: What was your reaction to the Department of Commerce’s recent onshoring announcement?
Kenneth Bilenberg: I think the announcement reinforces a broader trend we’ve already been seeing across the industry: biopharma companies are placing increasing strategic importance on supply chain resilience, operational flexibility, and access to reliable U.S.-based manufacturing capacity.
While the details and implementation will continue to evolve, the direction is meaningful. Manufacturing strategy is becoming increasingly connected to broader business considerations like risk mitigation, continuity, and commercialization readiness.
Q: How could these developments impact biotech and pharmaceutical companies?
Kenneth Bilenberg: I believe many companies will begin evaluating manufacturing footprints and supply chain strategies more proactively.
Historically, manufacturing decisions may have focused heavily on cost or available capacity. Today, companies are also thinking about geographic diversification, long-term flexibility, tech transfer readiness, and reducing operational risk.
That may lead to increased interest in U.S.-based manufacturing partnerships, dual sourcing strategies, and earlier planning around clinical and commercial manufacturing pathways.
Q: Why are these conversations particularly important in biologics manufacturing?
Kenneth Bilenberg: Biologics manufacturing is highly specialized and complex. Scaling processes, transferring programs, and maintaining quality consistency across development and manufacturing environments requires deep technical and operational expertise.
In a rapidly evolving environment, experience and continuity become especially important. Companies want partners that can help reduce complexity and support programs efficiently across the product lifecycle, from early development through commercial manufacturing.
That’s an area where Avid has invested heavily over time.
Q: How is Avid Bioservices positioned to support clients evaluating these considerations?
Kenneth Bilenberg: Avid has long believed in the value of strong U.S.-based biologics development and manufacturing capabilities.
We’ve continued investing in our California-based facilities, experienced technical teams, flexible manufacturing infrastructure, and integrated development-to-commercial manufacturing model to help clients move programs forward with confidence.
What clients increasingly need is not simply capacity, they need partnership, responsiveness, quality, flexibility, and operational continuity.
Q: What advice would you give companies evaluating manufacturing strategy right now?
Kenneth Bilenberg: I would encourage organizations to think proactively and strategically.
Manufacturing strategy is no longer purely operational; it’s increasingly tied to business continuity, speed, flexibility, and long-term resilience.
The companies that build adaptable manufacturing strategies and strong partnerships early will likely be better positioned to navigate change and continue advancing programs efficiently.
Really, companies should not wait for clinical manufacturing to get their strategy in place. They should have the end game in sight as soon as they start cell line development. The world is a rapidly evolving place, and it could look quite different several years from now. The sooner you have a plan to ensure maximum supply chain resilience, the better.
As the biopharma industry evaluates the implications of evolving onshoring and manufacturing policies, supply chain resilience and manufacturing strategy are becoming increasingly interconnected. At Avid Bioservices, we remain focused on helping clients navigate complexity with flexible, high-quality biologics development and manufacturing solutions; from early development through commercial supply.
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