ICIvan CitakovicDiscuss collaboration
Biotech · Pharma · Business Development

Biotech business development,
built through systems.

I work with biotech and pharma teams on structuring market opportunities, collaboration paths, and early validation systems around technologies with industrial potential.

PhD biotech profile, ex-founder, oriented toward business development, technology transfer, and academia-industry collaboration.

Discuss collaboration →View my workflows
Recommendation

Trusted for structured execution

A recommendation that reflects the way I work: reliable, organized, adaptable, and focused on quality even in demanding contexts.

Throughout our collaboration, Ivan demonstrated great reliability in managing his missions. His methodical organization allowed him to anticipate priorities, meet deadlines, and maintain a high level of quality in his work, even in demanding contexts.

He also has strong interpersonal intelligence, which allows him to work easily with others and adapt to different stakeholders.

It was a pleasure to work alongside him. I recommend him with confidence.

Marguerite Verret
Administrative & Finance Manager · ImmunRise Biocontrol
Worked with Ivan across different teams · LinkedIn recommendation
Verified on LinkedIn
01 - Business Development Systems

Business Development Systems

I approach biotech business development as a structured operating system: identify markets, map competitors and stakeholders, run fast market validation, and apply CRM pipelines for outreach.

Below you will find the dashboards, blueprints and tool workspace captures from real projects I am doing or I completed in the past.

3.1

Market analysis - from scattered signals to decision-ready reports

I combine database research, external sources, structured tables, and analyst synthesis to turn scientific and market signals into useful business development outputs.

Pharma Market Analysis - Workflow
Five-step pharma market analysis workflow

  • Signal Mapping

    Map companies, funding, patents, publications, clinical activity, regulatory signals, and market sizing inputs.

  • Market Prioritization

    Compare market potential against difficulty of entry, including trends, margins, problem intensity, regulation, competition, and scale-up risk.

  • Decision Outputs

    Produce structured outputs such as competitor databases, stakeholder maps, patent trend tables, regulatory trackers, and market attractiveness matrices.

Demand market analysis example →
3.2

Fast MVP validation for product-market fit signals

I test early market assumptions by transforming ideas into lightweight validation assets: landing pages, concept pages, posters, product sheets, or interview guides.

fastinghabits.lovable.app - MVP
Fasting Habits MVP landing page
Portfolio preview adapted for visual consistency. Live prototype uses original dark theme.

  • Lean Canvas

    Structure a Lean Canvas around the targeted product-market fit and update it with validation evidence.

  • Market Testing

    Test value proposition, ideal customer profile, objections, willingness to pay, and access channels.

  • Traction Signals

    Use product waitlist, interviews, and early-access signals to decide whether the market direction deserves more resources.

View most recent MVP - digital health product validation ↗
3.3

Weekly competitive intelligence, built as a repeatable workflow

I use automation to follow competitor and ecosystem signals weekly that provide automatic weekly competitor movements report sent to your e-mail.

  • Signal Tracking

    Track recruiting activity, LinkedIn activity, fundraising, patents, partnerships, events, ads, product launches, and new targeted indications.

  • Competitor Database

    Centralize competitor signals into a database with short- and mid-term direction, detected needs, and possible obstacles.

  • Strategic Awareness

    Use recurring workflows to support prioritization, outreach preparation, and strategic awareness.

n8n - Weekly BI & Newsletter Workflow
n8n automation workflow for weekly competitive intelligence
Demand weekly intelligence report example →
3.4

CRM pipelines for client and partners approaching and management

I use CRM pipelines to make outreach visible, staged, and measurable - from first contact to booked meetings and follow-up cycles.

  • Contact Segmentation

    Segment contacts by stage: to get in contact, first email sent, follow-up, reply received, appointment booked, and closed outcomes.

  • Pipeline Focus

    Track where opportunities sit in the pipeline and where follow-up effort should be concentrated.

  • Anonymized Proof

    Keep sensitive company and contact data anonymized while preserving the business development workflow as proof.

HubSpot - Sales pipeline
HubSpot sales pipeline kanban board
CRM pipeline example. Contact details anonymized; structure preserved.
02 - Project Management Operating System

Project Management Operating System

My planning system connects three levels: long-term direction (vision, mission and strategy), trimestral execution planning, and weekly task / time management.

Below you will find the dashboards, blueprints and tool workspace captures from real projects I am doing or I completed in the past.

1
Multi-year direction
Vision · Mission · Strategy
→
2
Trimestral planning
Milestones · Dependencies · Workload
→
3
Weekly execution
Tasks · Boards · Time tracking
4.1

Multi-year direction starts with vision, mission, and strategy

Before execution starts, I make sure that vision, mission, and long-term strategy are clear - and that day-to-day work aligns with them.

Sanitized planning screenshot. Confidential details blurred.
Vision · Mission · Strategy - Baseline
Vision, mission, and strategy planning chart
MS Project - Quarterly Gantt
MS Project quarterly Gantt chart
Task names anonymized. Planning logic, milestones, workload, and dependencies remain visible.
4.2

Trimestral planning turns strategy into scheduled work

I use trimestral planning to break larger objectives into dependencies, milestones, workload estimates, and delivery timelines.

  • Strategic Breakdown

    Translate strategic priorities into scheduled workstreams, milestones, and dependencies.

  • Gantt Planning

    Use Gantt planning to clarify timing, sequencing, workload, and progress.

  • Planning Experience

    Several years of experience using structured planning tools like MS Project for entrepreneurial projects.

4.3

Weekly execution keeps projects realistic

I use weekly task boards and time tracking to keep execution visible, delegated, realistic, and measurable. I've spent 4+ years fine-tuning weekly task/time systems in tools like Asana and Clockify.

Asana - Weekly list
Asana weekly task list
Asana - Board view
Asana board view with kanban columns
Clockify - Time tracking
Clockify time tracking report

  • Weekly Priorities

    Organize weekly priorities through list and board views, with tasks grouped by status and delivery window.

  • Time Allocation

    Track time allocation across projects to understand real workload and improve planning accuracy.

  • Lessons Learned

    Every obstacle on the task stays captured in the task discussion, and serves later for writing lessons learned document after the project.

Task details anonymized. Weekly organization, ownership, timing, and workload structure remain visible.
03 - Why Me

What I Bring to Biotech Collaboration

International Experience

Understanding Where Biotech Projects Lose Momentum

  • Promising innovations lose impact because of unclear direction.
  • I understand the friction between scientific excellence and market expectations.
  • I know how difficult it is to rethink months of R&D and partnerships.

From Startup Building to Collaborative Projects

  • Former co-founder of a biotech startup.
  • Managed collaborative academia → industry projects.
  • Experience across several biotech sectors and technologies.

Unique Strengths

  • Created my first company at 21.
  • Lived and collaborated with teams in 5 countries.
  • Dual profile: biotech founder and digital entrepreneur.
Meet me at

Meet Me at the Events

APinnov 2026
BIG 08.10.2026 Accor Arena Paris
SantéExpo 2026
Kadans Oncology Summit
D4GEN Hackathon
Paris-Saclay Spring
JNBB National Biomanufacturing Biomedicines Day
05 - In the Field

In the Field & Resources

Selected conferences, presentations and ecosystem events reflecting my work across biotechnology, entrepreneurship and Business Development, with direct links to my CV and LinkedIn.

Poster presentation at scientific conference
Presentation in front of a whiteboard - "What are microalgae?"
Keynote at AlgaEurope 2024, Athens
Panel discussion with five speakers
Workshop in a meeting room with international team
06 - Contact

Let's discuss a collaboration

If your team is building in biotech, pharma, health innovation, or science-based ventures, I would be glad to discuss how I could support business development, market intelligence, partnership structuring, or project execution.

  • Response timeUsually within 48 hours
  • Based inFrance · Open to EU collaboration
  • Next step12-month biotech BD mission, September 2026 - with potential to grow into a long-term collaboration.
For direct contact:linkedin.com/in/ivan-citakovic-10 →
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