Key Takeaways
- • The Hartford's Global Insights Center head Ben Wright and Life Science Industry Practice head Brad John say tariffs, shifting trade routes and supply chain reprioritization are adding cost, uncertainty and risk for life sciences companies.
- • Wright said high tariffs have already been placed on pharmaceuticals, with additional high tariffs planned, and that higher costs raise questions about underwriting decisions.
- • John says underwriters are focusing on interconnected exposures, organizational resilience and contingent risk, since many life sciences firms do not own the facilities where their products are made, tested or sterilized.
- • Rare earth access and artificial intelligence are cited as emerging risk factors affecting life sciences supply chains and underwriting.
- • The Hartford says it has invested in dedicated economic and geopolitical intelligence capabilities, run through its Global Insights Center, to support underwriter conversations with clients.
Summary
The Hartford published a sponsored piece, produced by the R&I Brand Studio in collaboration with The Hartford, arguing that life sciences companies face heightened operational and insurance risk from trade policy changes. Wright, head of The Hartford's Global Insights Center, said the sector depends heavily on cross-border trade for inputs and finished goods, and that supply chains once optimized for low cost are now being rebuilt around resiliency. He cited high tariffs already placed on pharmaceuticals and additional planned tariffs, and noted that rising costs raise questions for underwriting decisions. He also flagged access to rare earth elements, which are critical to certain life sciences manufacturing equipment and are mostly produced internationally.
Brad John, head of The Hartford's Life Science Industry Practice, said complexity and speed have become the dominant forces shaping life sciences risk. Underwriters have long assessed supplier concentration and contract manufacturing, he said, but the interconnection of these issues and the speed at which effects spread are new. Because many companies rely on partners for manufacturing, testing and sterilization, underwriters are focusing on how well companies can recover and how valid their controls are. John recommended mapping critical dependencies, evaluating concentration risk, developing qualified alternative suppliers, and stress-testing continuity plans, adding that a backup supplier must be as qualified as the primary in a highly regulated industry.
The article also addresses artificial intelligence, which John said can help companies stress-test scenarios but can also surface flaws quickly and amplify their impact. Wright said AI is likely to shift the skills and job requirements needed in the sector. According to the piece, The Hartford's Global Insights Center conducts bespoke research on insurance through an economic and geopolitical lens, and feeds that intelligence into underwriting conversations. Wright urged scenario planning and quantification of risk ahead of time.
The article is promotional content rather than independent reporting, and it carries a disclaimer that its materials are general and advisory and not legal advice. The Hartford Insurance Group (NYSE: HIG) is the publisher's sponsor, and the content states its information is current as of October 2026.
Brad John, head of The Hartford's Life Science Industry Practice, said complexity and speed have become the dominant forces shaping life sciences risk. Underwriters have long assessed supplier concentration and contract manufacturing, he said, but the interconnection of these issues and the speed at which effects spread are new. Because many companies rely on partners for manufacturing, testing and sterilization, underwriters are focusing on how well companies can recover and how valid their controls are. John recommended mapping critical dependencies, evaluating concentration risk, developing qualified alternative suppliers, and stress-testing continuity plans, adding that a backup supplier must be as qualified as the primary in a highly regulated industry.
The article also addresses artificial intelligence, which John said can help companies stress-test scenarios but can also surface flaws quickly and amplify their impact. Wright said AI is likely to shift the skills and job requirements needed in the sector. According to the piece, The Hartford's Global Insights Center conducts bespoke research on insurance through an economic and geopolitical lens, and feeds that intelligence into underwriting conversations. Wright urged scenario planning and quantification of risk ahead of time.
The article is promotional content rather than independent reporting, and it carries a disclaimer that its materials are general and advisory and not legal advice. The Hartford Insurance Group (NYSE: HIG) is the publisher's sponsor, and the content states its information is current as of October 2026.
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