R&D has always been the beating heart of the pharmaceutical sector and 2020 was an even bigger year than expected, with funding channelled into pharma in record amounts, boosting R&D activity. With significant milestones in innovative research reached over the past decade and an ever-increasing pressure to innovate, are we witnessing shifts in drug development and portfolio management for pharma companies? Are there new ways to capture precompetitive opportunities? With more money available for biotech start-ups, is it more difficult for Pharma to make deals? Are there new contractual terms required in deal making? What are the roles of new R&D tools, the greater use of data and research platforms? Are they helping to identify new opportunities and impacting innovation sourcing strategies? Are sourcing strategies now easier to establish with a global footprint?