The life sciences industry is undergoing a profound transformation, driven by the convergence of digital health, data, and technology. Nowhere is this more evident than in the EMEA (Europe, Middle East, and Africa) and APAC (Asia-Pacific) regions, where organizations are navigating a complex landscape of regulatory diversity, data privacy requirements, and rapidly evolving patient and provider expectations. As digital transformation accelerates, the adoption of platforms like Salesforce Life Sciences Cloud is enabling organizations to break down silos, deliver personalized engagement, and drive measurable impact—while addressing the unique challenges and opportunities of each region.
EMEA and APAC are characterized by a patchwork of regulatory frameworks and data privacy laws. In EMEA, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) sets a high bar for data privacy, requiring organizations to implement robust consent management, data lineage tracking, and privacy-by-design principles. APAC, meanwhile, features a diverse array of national regulations, from Singapore’s Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA) to Australia’s Privacy Act, each with its own nuances and compliance requirements.
This regulatory diversity demands a flexible, privacy-first approach to digital transformation. Life sciences organizations must unify data from disparate sources—clinical, commercial, and operational—while ensuring that every digital interaction is compliant, auditable, and secure. Salesforce Life Sciences Cloud, with its built-in compliance features and trust layers, provides a foundation for organizations to innovate confidently, knowing that patient and HCP data is protected at every step.
The COVID-19 pandemic was a catalyst for digital adoption across EMEA and APAC. According to Anette Samsioe, Health Industry Lead for EMEA and APAC at Publicis Sapient, the crisis forced a rapid shift toward virtualization in clinical research and patient engagement. Travel restrictions and hospital capacity constraints led to delays in traditional clinical trials, prompting organizations to embrace digital solutions for recruitment, remote monitoring, and patient communication.
In both regions, telehealth adoption soared, with a significant portion of patients using virtual care for the first time. In EMEA, older populations—traditionally less digitally engaged—demonstrated a marked increase in telehealth usage. In APAC, the need for remote access to care in geographically dispersed populations accelerated the deployment of digital health platforms. Salesforce Health Cloud and Marketing Cloud have been instrumental in enabling these shifts, supporting everything from virtual trial recruitment to omnichannel patient engagement and real-time data capture.
Digital transformation in EMEA and APAC is not just a technological journey—it’s a cultural one. Success requires organizations to foster a mindset of continuous learning, experimentation, and cross-functional collaboration. In regions where healthcare delivery is highly localized and patient expectations vary widely, organizations must design solutions that are both globally scalable and locally relevant.
Cross-border collaboration has emerged as a powerful driver of innovation. The pandemic saw former competitors in the pharmaceutical industry join forces to accelerate drug development and share best practices. This spirit of partnership extends to digital transformation, where organizations are co-creating solutions, piloting new engagement models, and sharing insights across markets. Publicis Sapient’s Value Alignment Labs exemplify this approach, bringing together stakeholders from clinical, IT, compliance, and patient experience to define goals, map high-impact use cases, and develop actionable roadmaps tailored to regional needs.
Across EMEA and APAC, life sciences organizations are realizing tangible benefits from digital transformation:
The most successful digital transformations in EMEA and APAC are those that prioritize learning over rigid execution. Organizations are moving away from the myth of perfect data and perfect readiness, instead embracing a culture of iteration, rapid feedback, and safe experimentation. Leadership plays a critical role in setting this tone, encouraging teams to learn while doing and to celebrate milestones of insight and adaptation.
Salesforce Life Sciences Cloud is more than a technology platform—it is a catalyst for building a true learning organization. By fostering digital fluency, empowering cross-functional teams, and embedding compliance into every layer of innovation, life sciences organizations in EMEA and APAC are poised to deliver better outcomes for patients, providers, and the business.
With deep expertise in healthcare and life sciences, a proven track record in regulated markets, and a global footprint spanning EMEA and APAC, Publicis Sapient is uniquely positioned to guide organizations through the complexities of digital transformation. Our collaborative, outcome-driven approach ensures that every engagement is tailored to regional realities—delivering measurable impact, accelerating time to value, and building the foundation for a more connected, patient-centric future.
Ready to accelerate your digital transformation journey in EMEA or APAC? Connect with Publicis Sapient to unlock the full potential of Salesforce Life Sciences Cloud and shape the future of healthcare together.