Safeguard Global Maps Hotspots to Find Pharma Talent in Inaugural Industry Intelligence Report
Industry Intelligence Report identifies hidden-gem markets to hire machine learning, QA, and bioprocess engineers and clinical leaders
AUSTIN, Texas – Nov. 19, 2025 – Safeguard Global, a pioneer in global workforce enablement and creator of the modern employer of record (EOR) category, today released its first Industry Intelligence Report, “Top Countries for Hard-to-Fill Life Sciences Roles.” The report identifies countries that balance depth of skills, cost, and compliance considerations across five hard-to-fill role clusters: machine learning engineers/data scientists; QA/validation engineers; bioprocess, process development, and automation engineers; clinical pharmacologists and translational scientists; and clinical project managers and operations leads.
The analysis arrives as pharma’s growth and deal cycles tighten the race for specialized talent. In 2024, the global market was valued at $1.65 trillion USD and is projected to grow by more than 40 percent, reaching $2.35 trillion USD by 2030, says Grand View Research. And according to a recent EY report, roughly two-thirds of big-pharma revenue over the next few years will come from dealmaking.
“As biotech platforms diversify and M&A reshapes pipelines and revenue streams, more pharma leaders are being measured by their ability to open markets quickly, hire globally, and keep critical programs on track,” said Bjorn Reynolds, CEO of Safeguard Global. “At the same time, CHROs and CFOs are facing challenges in finding skilled professionals, forcing them to cast a wider net to fill these positions. This makes expanding globally in full compliance with local laws even more complex.”
The report leans on insights from Safeguard Global’s in-country HR experts and recruiters who have handled client searches for these roles, as well as Intelligent Workforce, Safeguard Global’s AI-driven workforce optimization platform. It surfaces a range of new trends and counterintuitive findings, such as:
- Montreal boasts the highest concentration of academic deep-learning researchers, a differentiator for AI-enabled discovery and trials. (Source: Mila)
- Portugal’s pharma/biotech talent pool has grown ~2.2% annually since 2017 and ranks 6th globally for English proficiency. (Sources: Invest in Portugal, AICEP)
- The Czech Republic averages ~60-day clinical-trial approvals and offers cost advantages for trial operations. (Source: Cromos Pharma)
- Puerto Rico’s industry operates under full US FDA oversight and boasts attractive operating costs in addition to bilingual talent. (Source: Safeguard Global)
- The Netherlands’ “closed-loop” air cargo chains have helped to facilitate the export of more medicines, vaccines, and medical devices than cheese, flowers, and meat. (Source: Invest in Holland)
- Nineteen of the world’s top 20 biopharma firms operate in Ireland, which has developed a strong reputation for cell and gene therapies. (Source: Innopharma education)
“Pharma teams across the globe are seeking to understand where to hire, how different scenarios will impact growth, and what strategies best align workforce costs to revenue,” said Wanda Prewitt, chief operating officer at Safeguard Global. “With this report, we’re giving HR leaders clear, market-by-market intelligence to source hard-to-find roles and build teams that outperform goals.”
About Safeguard Global
Safeguard Global enables global expansion without the risk. As a pioneer in global workforce enablement and employer of record (EOR) solutions, Safeguard Global helps organizations quickly and compliantly recruit, hire, pay, and manage teams in nearly 190 countries, without establishing legal entities. The company's technology platform is backed by over 400 local experts working in 70+ countries who deliver human support when it matters most. With a breadth of global workforce solutions that also includes HR, benefits, accounting, legal, visa and immigration, and tax services, Safeguard Global guides customers with the expertise and support they need to scale faster and hire compliantly around the globe, wherever they are in their expansion cycle. Learn more at safeguardglobal.com. Follow Safeguard Global on LinkedIn.
