Panel Discussion: Governance Without Gridlock: Balancing Strategy, Risk, and Compliance in Life Sciences Projects

Governance is often seen as red tape, but the right structures can actually accelerate decision-making, reduce risks, and keep projects aligned with strategy. This panel brings together senior project, program, and portfolio leaders to explore how governance can work for - rather than against - innovation. Panelists will share practical approaches for embedding governance into daily project execution while keeping compliance and risk under control. Discussion Points:

• Empowering vs. bureaucratic governance: What good governance looks like in practice and how to avoid processes that slow delivery.

• Roles and responsibilities: Where project, program, and portfolio managers should take ownership, and how they interface with QA, regulatory, and executives.

• Risk governance: Effective ways to capture, escalate, and mitigate risks without over-complicating portfolios.

• Compliance integration: How to embed regulatory and quality requirements (e.g., EMA, EU HTA 2025, GxP) into projects without creating bottlenecks.

• Governance tools: How dashboards, reporting platforms, and AI solutions can simplify decision-making and provide real-time portfolio insights.

• Future outlook: What governance models and skills will be essential for project leaders over the next 3–5 years.