Recent advancements in the fields of data management (big data), artificial intelligence and biotechnology (e.g. gene therapy and immunotherapy) have accelerated the discovery of new treatments. Since every new drug, medical device or treatment must go through a clinical trial, the volume of clinical studies continues to grow, subsequently increasing the demand for qualified candidates to fill the growing number of jobs.

The shortage of qualified Clinical Research Associates (CRA) to monitor this growing number of studies is having a significant impact on the pharmaceutical industry across Europe and worldwide. Even though these days sponsors mainly choose to outsource their clinical operations to Clinical Research Organisations (CRO), the gap between demand and supply is still widening and inevitably driving higher costs and extending clinical development timelines.

Moreover, hiring managers usually demand a minimum of two to four years of monitoring experience followed by specific therapeutic area expertise, which narrows the pool of candidates even further.