Excelya Recap: OCT Europe 2026 Clinical Outsourcing Insights

Author: Frédéric Valenti & Sami El Husseini
Published on: 13/05/2026

Estimated Reading Time: 4 min

OCT Europe · Barcelona Highlights

Introduction, from the floor of Barcelona

The 16th Annual Outsourcing in Clinical Trials Europe, held in Barcelona, once again confirmed why OCT Europe remains a must attend event for the clinical outsourcing ecosystem. More than a conference, OCT Europe is where sponsors, CROs, vendors, sites and clinical operations leaders reconnect, exchange perspectives and shape the future of clinical trial outsourcing in Europe. For Excelya, the event was also an opportunity to listen closely to the market, discuss the evolving needs of pharma, biotech and mid size pharma companies, and reinforce our positioning as a flexible, fast and reliable CRO partner in Europe.

Jump to Section

1Europe’s Clinical Outsourcing Community

2Industry Reflections from OCT Europe

3Looking Forward

4
FAQ

Europe’s Clinical Outsourcing Community

Why OCT Europe Matters for Clinical Trial Outsourcing

OCT Europe remains one of the strongest annual touchpoints for the clinical outsourcing community. It is a place where vendor networks mature, business relationships develop, and continuity becomes a real competitive advantage.

Mid size pharma, pharma, and biotech representatives are highly solicited during the event, making the balance between sessions, meetings, and networking a true skill. The value of OCT Europe lies not only in the formal agenda, but also in the quality of discussions happening across the clinical research ecosystem.

Collaboration
Operational Pressure
Trust Based Partnerships

For sponsors and CROs alike, the event reflects the direction of the market: more collaboration, more operational pressure, more technology, and a stronger need for trust based partnerships.

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More than a conference, OCT Europe is where the clinical outsourcing ecosystem reconnects, evolves, and consolidates year after year.

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OCT Europe 2026 also confirmed that clinical trial outsourcing in Europe is becoming more strategic. Sponsors are not only looking for operational support. They are looking for partners who can bring continuity, agility, risk visibility, and a deeper understanding of the European clinical research landscape.

For EXCELYA, this makes OCT Europe an important moment to listen to the market, strengthen conversations with sponsors and partners, and reinforce its position as a flexible, fast, and reliable CRO in Europe.

Sami El Husseini & Frédéric Valenti at the 16th OCT Europe Conference in Barcelona

Industry Reflections from OCT Europe

Broader Signals for the Future of Clinical Research in Europe

Signal 01

AI becomes operational

Artificial intelligence is no longer only a trend in clinical research. It is becoming more concrete across monitoring models, risk visibility, data flow, and trial efficiency.

Signal 02

Patient centricity becomes practical

Pediatric trials continue to inspire simpler and more focused approaches. Patient centered clinical trials must reduce burden, improve access, and maintain scientific quality.

Strategic questions ahead

Important questions remain for the future of clinical research in Europe, from the European Health Data Space and AI driven monitoring models to governance frameworks, regulatory alignment, data access, and interoperability. These areas are likely to create decisive advantages for sponsors, CROs, and partners able to adapt early.

Europe at a Turning Point in Clinical Trials

One of the strongest impressions from OCT Europe was the shared awareness of Europe’s position in the global clinical trial landscape. Longer activation timelines, overloaded sites, pressure on quality and delivery, procedural complexity, and fragmented implementation across countries continue to challenge the region’s competitiveness.

At the same time, encouraging signals are emerging. New fast track approaches for mono country trials, along with examples from Spain and Poland, show what effective public and private alignment can achieve.

Market pressure

60%

Capital has shifted away from Europe, while the US and China have seen around 50% growth.

CRO evolution

The Role of the CRO Beyond Execution

In today’s constrained funding and technology driven environment, CROs must go beyond service delivery. Sponsors increasingly need partners that act as true extensions of their teams.

Integration

Become a true extension of client teams

Trial design

Support the redesign of clinical trials in Europe

Site value

Leverage site expertise as centers of excellence

Visibility

Provide real time visibility on risk and metrics

Agility

Explore operational options with agility

Decision making

Support faster and more informed decisions

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Despite increasing technology, regulation, and digitalisation, one constant remains: human trust.

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A Human Driven Future for Clinical Research

Trust is central at every level of clinical research: between patients and investigators, sponsors and CROs, vendors, sites, operational teams, and regulatory expectations.

Excelya’s Market Perception

OCT Europe also showed that Excelya is still not widely recognized as a CRO by parts of the market. This perception is changing, but it must continue to evolve.

EXCELYA in the European CRO landscape

Flexible, fast, and reliable CRO support across Europe

Discussions during OCT Europe were encouraging. The message that Excelya is actively delivering FSO on the ground was very well received. The core country strategy, focused on France and Greece, combined with Western Europe and Central and Eastern Europe deployment, strongly resonated with market needs.

Rapid study start up
Strategic engagement
Co piloting with sponsors
Flexible delivery
Regulatory excellence
Data integrity
Patient centricity

Excelya must continue to position itself as a secure and compliant clinical research partner, grounded in regulatory excellence, data integrity, and patient centered delivery.

Looking Forward

Looking Forward: Building the Future of Clinical Trial Outsourcing in Europe

OCT Europe 2026 confirmed that clinical trial outsourcing in Europe is entering a decisive phase. The market is under pressure, but it is also becoming more mature. Sponsors are looking for reliable CRO partners that can combine operational agility, regulatory understanding, country level expertise and human trust.

For Excelya, the opportunity is clear: continue strengthening awareness of our CRO capabilities, reinforce our FSO delivery model and position ourselves as a strategic partner for sponsors seeking flexible, compliant and patient centered clinical trial solutions in Europe. By combining regulatory excellence, data integrity, operational transparency and strong site engagement, Excelya can continue to support the next generation of impactful clinical projects across Europe

Frequently Asked Questions

What is OCT Europe?

OCT Europe, also known as Outsourcing in Clinical Trials Europe, is an annual event that brings together sponsors, CROs, vendors and clinical research leaders to discuss clinical trial outsourcing, operational delivery, partnerships and innovation in Europe.

Why is OCT Europe important for clinical trial outsourcing?

OCT Europe is important because it connects the key stakeholders involved in planning and delivering clinical trials. It helps pharma, biotech, CROs and vendors discuss operational challenges, partnership models, technology adoption and the future of clinical research in Europe.

What were the main themes discussed at OCT Europe 2026?

The main themes included AI in clinical trials, patient centricity, Europe’s competitiveness in clinical research, site activation timelines, governance models, regulatory complexity and the evolving role of CROs as strategic partners.

What challenges are affecting clinical trials in Europe?

Key challenges include longer activation timelines, overloaded sites, procedural complexity, fragmented implementation across countries, and the need to manage GDPR and CTR requirements pragmatically while maintaining quality and compliance.

How is Excelya positioned as a CRO in Europe?

Looking to discuss clinical trial outsourcing, FSO delivery, rare disease studies or CRO support in Europe?
Connect with Excelya to explore how our teams can support flexible, compliant and patient centered clinical trial delivery across Europe.