Background

A leading UK-based specialist CRO providing biostatistics, statistical programming, and data management services sought external strategic support to refine its value proposition and define its growth priorities. The company aimed to quantify its addressable market, identify the most attractive customer segments, and determine its right-to-win across geographies, service lines, and therapeutic areas. Additionally, the engagement sought to evaluate adjacent opportunities for service expansion and assess how evolving trends—such as AI adoption, outsourcing dynamics, and sponsor consolidation—may shape future market positioning.

Our approach

In ten weeks, Larka executed a comprehensive commercial and strategic market assessment combining proprietary data intelligence, clinical trial analytics, and 70+ expert interviews with biometrics decision-makers across Europe, the UK, and North America. The work focused on three core dimensions: (i) Market Dynamics – quantified the biometrics addressable market across biostatistics, programming, and data management, segmented by customer type, provider model, clinical phase, and therapeutic area. Evaluated market trends including biotech funding cycles, outsourcing models (FSP vs. FSO), and AI-driven disruption. (ii) Right-to-Win Assessment – analyzed customer purchase criteria, satisfaction, and switching barriers to identify where the company is best positioned to grow. Benchmarked capabilities and brand perception versus specialist and full-service CROs to highlight competitive strengths and gaps. (iii) Growth Strategy & Adjacencies – prioritized high-growth segments and potential adjacencies based on capability fit, market attractiveness, and right-to-win. Defined service line expansion pathways and investment areas to capture mid-size pharma and biotech demand.

Outcome

The engagement delivered a quantified view of the UK–EU–North America biometrics market, identifying the most attractive segments by customer type, service line, and geography. It provided a clear assessment of the company’s right-to-win, pinpointing high-value growth opportunities and strategic adjacencies for expansion. The insights enabled the leadership team to refine its commercial focus, enhance competitiveness against larger CROs, and position the organization for sustainable growth.