💊
Pharmaceutical

Pharmaceutical EPCM Engineering: cGMP Facility Design & Qualification

Your facility passes the inspection. First time.

Pharmaceutical manufacturing is unforgiving. A single failed EU GMP inspection can halt production, trigger recalls, and cost years of remediation. We build EPCM projects where regulatory compliance isn't a final check but the foundation everything is designed around.

EU GMP FDA 21 CFR cGMP V-Model IQ / OQ / PQ GAMP 5 ISO 14644 Annex 11
Talk to a pharma engineer FAT / SAT & IQ/OQ/PQ →
The Challenges We Solve

Six inspection findings. Six engineering responses.

Most pharmaceutical inspection findings trace back to engineering decisions made earlier in the project. Here is where those risks sit — and how we design them out.

⚠️ Issue Root cause ✅ Our response Standard
Qualification lifecycle gaps URS doesn't trace to FAT protocols. IQ executed without DS reference. OQ parameters not derived from FDS. V-model structured from day one — every qualification document is evidence of something that was tested, not assembled retrospectively EU GMP
Cleanroom design errors Grade boundaries that fail under operational pressure. Airlocks that don't cascade. Gowning routes that create contamination vectors. Cleanrooms designed for how they will be operated — operators in the design session, not just engineers. Pressure cascades and gowning routes verified at design stage. ISO 14644
Computer system validation drift Suppliers install SCADA/DCS without GAMP 5 understanding. URS defined after configuration. CSV assembled retrospectively. CSV managed prospectively from URS — SCADA, DCS, MES, LIMS validated under GAMP 5 before go-live, not for the inspector GAMP 5
FAT/SAT disconnected from qualification Factory tests generate no IQ evidence. SAT protocols written after FAT is complete. Documentation rebuilt for inspectors. FAT protocols written to serve as IQ/OQ evidence — reduces total test time by weeks and eliminates retrospective documentation work EU GMP
Change control not designed in Facilities not designed with change control in mind cost significantly more to manage — document trails break on first modification. Document hierarchies, drawing revision controls, and as-built capture built into the initial engineering scope — not retrofitted EU GMP
Procurement without regulatory visibility Equipment purchased without DQ. Suppliers selected without GMP assessment. Timelines ignore vendor qualification. Pharmaceutical procurement managed with the qualification lifecycle in view from first specification — DQ before purchase order, not after delivery FDA / EMA
What We Deliver

Pharmaceutical EPCM services.

🔬
cGMP Facility EngineeringCleanroom and process plant design for sterile, OSD, biological, and API manufacturing. EU GMP and FDA-compliant by design.
📋
Qualification Lifecycle ManagementVMP, DQ, IQ, OQ, PQ protocol writing and execution. V-model structured from URS to PQ summary.
🧪
FAT & SAT: Independent WitnessFAT protocols aligned with FDS/DS. Independent witness at vendor sites. SAT coordination through to GMP release.
💻
GAMP 5 Computer System ValidationCSV for SCADA, DCS, MES, LIMS. Annex 11 and 21 CFR Part 11 compliant. Periodic review programmes.
🏗️
Construction ManagementGMP-aware on-site EPCM. Your contracts, our oversight, your regulatory accountability protected.
🔍
Validation Readiness ReviewFixed-scope entry product. V-model gap analysis, scope definition, delivered in 5 working days. Details →
Who We Work With

Pharmaceutical clients across the value chain.

Whether you're a CDMO running continuous qualification programmes, a mid-size manufacturer upgrading facilities, or a scale-up commissioning your first GMP suite and our approach adapts to your regulatory context and project scale.

🏭
CDMOs

Ongoing qualification, new suite fit-outs, CSV for multi-product platforms

💊
Generic Manufacturers

Facility upgrades, EU GMP compliance, solid dose and liquid manufacturing

🔨
Biotech Scale-ups

First GMP facility, VMP development, cleanroom engineering from scratch

📑
API & Specialty Pharma

Containment engineering, ATEX, cGMP API process plant, HAZOP support

Project Examples

Real outcomes: anonymised for confidentiality.

Global Pharma Manufacturer · North Brabant

Effluent & Solid Waste Treatment: €17M

Three ETPs across BSL2/BSL3 boundaries. First shredder-autoclave at a pharmaceutical site. 100% regulatory decontamination compliance on commissioning.

Read full case study →
Semiconductor Equipment OEM · Eindhoven

Cleanroom Gas Distribution System: €30M

High-purity gas network inside a live cleanroom. Full off-site prefabrication certified before site entry. Zero in-cleanroom fabrication.

Design review completed to programme. No rework.
All case studies →
The V-Model — How We Use It

Every test is evidence of a specification being met.

The V-model isn't just a regulatory requirement but a project management tool. When it's done correctly, every qualification protocol is the mirror image of a design specification. Nothing is tested without a requirement. Nothing passes without traceability.

V-Model: Specification to Qualification

C2Improve writes FAT and SAT protocols that are directly traceable to the FDS and DS. This means FAT evidence is IQ/OQ evidence and tested once, not twice. For a typical equipment qualification, this saves 4–8 weeks of repeat testing and documentation.

Ready to get your next pharmaceutical project right from the start?

Talk to a pharma engineer