IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Life Sciences R&D RWD/RWE for Data Platforms, Technology Solutions, and Consulting Services 2026 Vendor Assessment

Abstract

This IDC study presents an IDC MarketScape assessment of the worldwide life sciences R&D RWE, RWD, platforms, technologies, and consulting services market. It evaluates the strategies and capabilities of key vendors in this space and represents a qualitative and quantitative assessment based on criteria that should be important to life science companies when considering the selection of an RWD/RWE technology solution provider. As data volumes explode, AI reshapes what is possible, and regulators lean further into RWE, this study captures an industry in the midst of a decisive shift from experimentation to enterprise-scale execution. This is the second time that an IDC MarketScape assessment on this topic in life sciences has been performed.

"Real-world data has quietly become the connective tissue of modern drug development. As data volumes explode, AI reshapes the art of the possible for evidence generation, and regulators lean further into RWE, the life sciences industry is undergoing a decisive shift from experimentation to enterprise-scale execution. Those who can exponentially accelerate the transformation of data into evidence that regulators trust, payers accept, and patients ultimately benefit from, will win," said Dr. Nimita Limaye, research VP, Life Sciences R&D Strategy and Technology, IDC.

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