Kuehne+Nagel has expanded its healthcare logistics footprint in India with the opening of a new temperature-controlled airfreight cross dock facility in Hyderabad. The investment strengthens the company’s ability to support the safe, compliant and reliable movement of healthcare products, in response to growing demand for specialised logistics solutions for pharmaceutical and medical shipments.

Hyderabad is a major centre for pharmaceutical manufacturing, contributing over 40 per cent of India’s active pharma ingredients and vaccine production. Strategically located within this ecosystem, Kuehne+Nagel’s new facility supports efficient handling and distribution while improving proximity to key customers and manufacturing sites.

The 248 sqm facility operates across dedicated temperature zones, including +2°C to +8°C and +15°C to +25°C. These controlled environments are designed to safeguard product integrity across a wide range of healthcare shipments. The site complies with Kuehne+Nagel’s global HealthChain quality standard, ensuring consistent GxP compliance across healthcare supply chains. With the addition of Hyderabad, Kuehne+Nagel now operates two HealthChain-certified facilities in India, following the launch of its Bengaluru Cool Zone facility in December 2025.

Anish Kumar Jha, Managing Director for Kuehne+Nagel India, Sri Lanka and the Maldives, said: “This investment strengthens our healthcare logistics network in India and brings us closer to customers operating in one of the country’s most important pharmaceutical hubs. By investing in specialised, HealthChain-certified infrastructure, we are supporting Indian healthcare companies as they grow and connect to global markets through compliant, temperature-controlled supply chains.”

Kuehne+Nagel has opened a new distribution centre for Sysmex Europe SE and Sysmex Deutschland GmbH, dedicated to diagnostic instruments and reagents. As part of its growth strategy, Kuehne+Nagel is further expanding its commitment to healthcare contract logistics.

With the 10,000 m² healthcare distribution centre in Hamburg, Kuehne+Nagel provides Sysmex with a broad range of services. These include direct-to-customer deliveries in parts of Europe, supply across the entire EMEA region, and same-day dispatch of urgent air freight export orders. The medical products are stored across three temperature zones. A key feature is the device configuration centre, which includes specialised rooms for configuring, pre-assembling, testing, and dispatching customised solutions.

The growing medical technology market demands high standards of quality, safety, and flexibility in logistics. Kuehne+Nagel’s HealthChain quality label ensures that all regulatory, industry-specific, and customer-specific standards are met with the highest quality. This is also a top priority for Sysmex: for over 50 years, the company has been developing diagnostic instruments and is one of the world’s leading providers in in-vitro diagnostics, especially in the field of haematology, haemostasis and urinalysis.

“In a spirit of partnership, we have succeeded in developing a distribution centre focused on efficiency and growth, which is of strategic importance to both companies,” explains Tobias Jerschke, Managing Director of Kuehne+Nagel Germany.

“Our collaboration with KN enables us to tackle two critical dimensions of our supply chain strategy: we continue to generate synergies from integrating the logistic flows of our Sysmex companies in Europe while we prepare ourselves for the expansion of our product portfolio, that will require a more modern logistics system,” says Stefanie Schaal, Board Member of Sysmex Europe SE and Sysmex Deutschland GmbH.

“This logistics centre, tailored to our processes, enables Sysmex to successfully continue the strong growth of recent years in the EMEA region,” adds Alexander Staffeldt, who has led the project on behalf of Sysmex.

Sanofi, a leading healthcare company with a presence in 90 countries worldwide, partners with Kuehne+Nagel for fulfilment, handling, and value-added services for pharmaceutical and consumer health products in Türkiye.

To enhance the efficiency of processes related to warehousing, handling, and value-added services such as serialisation and inking, Sanofi in Türkiye entrusts Kuehne+Nagel with managing the facility in Tuzla, on the outskirts of Istanbul.

Currently, Sanofi operates an 11,000 sqm facility equipped with temperature-controlled rooms (15-25°C), cold rooms (2-8°C), restricted access zones, quarantine areas, and more. With a storage capacity of up to 4,200 pallets of healthcare and consumer health products, the facility ensures timely delivery to patients across Türkiye.

“Our purpose at Sanofi is to improve people’s lives around the world, by chasing the miracles of science. In line with this mission, we sought a trusted partner to deliver reliable 3PL warehousing logistics services, allowing us to focus on our core business. Sanofi’s successful collaborations with Kuehne+Nagel in other countries reinforced our confidence in choosing them as our partner in Türkiye,” says Cem Öztürk, Sanofi Eurasia MCO Lead.

“We are thrilled to take on the operation of Sanofi’s facility in Tuzla. Our partnership is built on a shared commitment to delivering healthcare products and consumer goods to patients efficiently and with the quality they deserve,” concludes Matthias Blan, Managing Director of Kuehne+Nagel Türkiye.

Kuehne+Nagel supports Sanofi in multiple countries worldwide, including Hungary, the UK, and the UAE, by providing customised fulfilment services.

As part of its strategy to strengthen its healthcare network in Europe, Kuehne+Nagel opens a 2,000 sqm, GDP-compliant cross-dock facility in Budapest, Hungary. It serves as a new hub for less-than truckload (LTL) services for healthcare customers, complementing the existing hub in Luxembourg. With two cross-docks  dedicated to healthcare goods for pan-European distribution, Kuehne+Nagel can optimise routings and reduce lead times for customers.

The Budapest hub provides highly secured and temperature-controlled environments set between 2-8°C and 15-25°C. It will particularly enhance collection and distribution services across Hungary and its neighboring countries, including Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia, Romania, Greece and Bulgaria.

Joerg Woyke, Global Head of Healthcare Road Logistics, says: “Due to the sensitive and highly regulated nature of healthcare goods, businesses were initially hesitant to shift from full-truckload (FTL) to LTL services. We have earned their trust by demonstrating that our LTL services meet the same rigorous quality standards, while offering cost-efficiency and reduced carbon emissions. As the demand for these services grows, we are strengthening our network, enabling customers to benefit from even shorter lead times.”

Developing solutions for healthcare customers is a strategic focus of Kuehne+Nagel’s Roadmap 2026. The launch of the Budapest hub is part of a broader initiative aimed at optimising the road freight network in Europe to meet the demand for high-quality and efficient transportation of healthcare shipments.

Menarini, a leading international pharmaceutical company, partners with Kuehne+Nagel for distribution services of pharma goods across Türkiye. Menarini leverages Kuehne+Nagel’s vast experience in handling sensitive healthcare products and the extensive local presence to secure the continuous availability of Menarini’s products.

To ensure the availability and convenient access to healthcare products for patients country-wide, Kuehne+Nagel provides local road logistics solutions. These solutions include transporting approximately 3,500 FTLs (full truckloads) and around 800,000 parcels of LCLs (less-than-truckloads) of healthcare products between Menarini's warehouse in Hadımköy, Istanbul and wholesalers nationwide. 

Additionally, Kuehne+Nagel provides storage services for some of Menarini's non-healthcare-related goods, which equal approximately 300 pallet positions stored in the Gebze facility in Kocaeli.

Menarini, headquartered in Florence, is currently present in 140 countries. The Menarini Group operates nine research and development centres and 18 manufacturing sites and produces over 500 million packs of medication.

"The product quality delivered to the end consumer, the patient, is a priority for Menarini. We were looking for a logistics partner who can assure the integrity and safety of the products, timely and efficient distribution, and we knew we could put trust in Kuehne+Nagel's global experience in handling healthcare and consumer goods," said Cenk Balcı, General Manager Menarini Türkiye.

"We are excited to support Menarini in delivering their healthcare products across Türkiye. Our experience in handling sensitive goods, backed by the network of best-in-class facilities equipped to provide optimal storing conditions, allows Menarini to focus on their growth whilst we take care of their complex distribution needs," concluded Matthias Blan, Managing Director Kuehne+Nagel Türkiye. 

Kuehne+Nagel in Türkiye provides tailored sea, air, road and project logistics services and operates over 100,000 sqm of state-of-the-art warehousing facilities with over  45,000 sqm dedicated to healthcare products.

It was not a dreamy island life that called them to Sulawesi. Instead, they were driven by a deeper purpose—to deliver aid in remote areas where basic medical services were scarce. A study from 2019 revealed that West Sulawesi had only 12 doctors per 100,000 residents in that year, a stark contrast to Jakarta’s five times higher ratio.* Imagine what Sulawesi was like three decennia prior.  

Nowadays, the scene has changed. Indonesia has been transformed by social, cultural, and economic progress. Also, the healthcare landscape has evolved, and the couple's mission has taken root in their son. Christopher now leads a team of logistics experts specialising in the distribution of MedTech devices to the nation’s most remote corners. 

His work comes at a time when Indonesia is experiencing a ‘hospital boom'. In the course of 2024, the Indonesian Health Ministry has inaugurated one hospital after the other. This stems from the 2023 New Health Act, with which the Indonesian government has pledged to make healthcare more accessible.  

Older hospitals are being refurbished and new ones are popping up.  

In the early hours of a late September morning, a faint glow of dawn casts shadows over the skeletal frame of one such hospital. At its base is a group of people donning safety vests and helmets. This team, part of Christopher's logistics crew, is responsible for executing ‘white glove’ deliveries—carefully transporting high-value, delicate medical equipment to hospitals across the country. 

The foreman briefs the team once again about the day's plan. Each team member has undergone specialised training to handle the movement of sensitive equipment. Their expertise is not just a point of pride; it’s a requirement to boast the HealthChain certification, part of the Kuehne+Nagel network’s global quality standard, which ensures the trust and confidence of their clients. 

There’s a rectangular gap in the outer wall of the building’s second floor. It wasn’t left by accident—it’s part of the plan to deliver and install a CT scanner. 

"We transport the medical devices from Jakarta to the healthcare facility where they have to be delivered or installed," Christopher explains. "Depending on the type of MedTech we’re transporting, we often need to bring in heavy lifting equipment, like cranes and forklifts, to help move the devices into the building." 

Kuehne+Nagel’s HealthChain-certified team oversees these white glove deliveries to Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities across Indonesia. The challenge intensifies in Tier 3 cities, which are smaller and often more difficult to access. Roads in these areas may be unpaved, and because Indonesia is made up of many islands, the team sometimes has to rely on ferries or planes to ensure the equipment reaches its destination safely and on time.

"The biggest challenge with such multimodal deliveries is managing lead times," Christopher notes. "Schedule reliability can be unpredictable when you're dealing with multiple modes of transport and passing through small ports and airports." 

At the hospital, timing is everything. Each piece of the puzzle has to fall into place precisely when needed—any delays can be costly, not only for the hospital but for the patients waiting for care. 

Despite these challenges, Christopher’s team has mastered the art of coordination. They earned the trust of their clients by starting small, first handling spare parts and consumables from the customer’s warehouse to local distributors and retail channels. Over time, their responsibilities grew. Today, they’ve earned the trust to deliver even the largest and most complex medical devices with the utmost care. 

“I believe earning your customer’s trust comes down to demonstrating expertise—but it’s also about genuinely caring," Christopher reflects. "After successfully managing smaller hospitals, my father had the opportunity to build a hospital in Jakarta from the ground up. He worked closely with contractors, pharmaceutical companies, and medical device providers. From the medical device companies, he expected not just top-tier product quality and reliable service contracts, but also a fixed delivery date so everything could be coordinated seamlessly with all stakeholders. And, of course, the installation had to be flawless, without any damage to the equipment or hospital property." 

"These lessons have shaped what we offer to our MedTech customers today," Christopher adds. "We focus on delivering the highest quality services, ensuring reliable timelines, and providing careful, damage-free installations—so that they, in turn, can deliver the best possible outcomes for their own customers." 

*Source

‘Over the last two decades, Ireland has established itself as a global leader in healthcare and has had considerable success in attracting multinational companies to establish manufacturing operations. Kuehne+Nagel is pleased to be able to contribute by investing in logistics infrastructure to enable the continued growth of this sector,” explains Pamela Quinn, Managing Director for UK and Ireland at Kuehne+Nagel. 

Kuehne+Nagel’s most recent investment includes an end-to-end next generation pharma licensed facility that offers logistics solutions for the entire product life cycle. The facility has capacity to store over 34,000 pallets and has a dedicated area focused on pre-conditioned temperature-controlled packing for critical healthcare transport. Overall in the last 3 years, Kuehne+Nagel Ireland has expanded its healthcare logistics footprint to over 60,000 pallet positions within its healthcare logistics campus in Dublin (340,000 square feet) and has increased its staff numbers in the last 10 years from 200 to over 540 logistics experts.  

“As we look to the future, it is clear that the success of advanced therapies like cell and gene treatments will not only depend on scientific breakthroughs, but also on our ability to manage complex logistical demands. It will require robust coordination between multiple stakeholders, including suppliers, manufacturers, healthcare facilities, regulators, and logistis providers,” says Minister of State for Trade Promotion, Digital and Company Regulation, Dara Calleary. “We are delighted that Kuehe+Nagel are continuing to invest in world class logistics facilities and people throughout Ireland to support its healthcare customers.” 

Many companies, including those from the pharmaceutical and healthcare sectors, decide to locate their hubs in Dubai. From there, they can easily prepare the products for their outbound or inbound journey into the UAE, depending on the changing inventory levels.

Aggregation License

"All pharmaceutical products and medical supplies must be recorded and registered with the Ministry of Health and Prevention (MOHAP) before entering the United Arab Emirates' market to detect counterfeit and falsified drugs and track and trace illegal supplies of healthcare products," said Safa Al Khayat, Pharmacist in Charge at Kuehne+Nagel.

Only a few companies in the UAE, including Kuehne+Nagel, have been certified by MOHAP to provide aggregated services for medical supplies.

Cutting Edge Technology

The registration process includes scanning the barcode of each unit to encode the data consisting of the Global Trade Item Number (GTIN), batch or lot number, expiry date, and serial number, and recording the data at Tatmeen, a governmental platform. If done manually, the process can be time-consuming and prone to human errors, especially when large quantities of products are to be released to the market at short notice.

Recognizing the need for a more efficient and reliable system, Kuehne+Nagel introduced multiple automated aggregation stations, an innovative technology allowing simultaneous scanning of dozens of units layered on a scanning tray. The stations, able to read and record about 75,000 barcodes daily each, offer a significant improvement over the traditional handheld scanner.

"Compared to the traditional scanning with a handheld scanner, our automated solution delivers efficiency and reliability, which is a critical feature for our customers," added Safa Al Khayat. "We can respond to the market's requirements immediately, with full transparency for all parties involved in the supply chain: customer, Ministry of Health and Prevention, distributor, and the final consumer, the patient."

Experience and Expertise

The Aggregation License obtained by Kuehne+Nagel in the UAE complements the similar certification in Bahrain, received three years ago.

"We gained extensive experience supporting our healthcare customers in Bahrain, and we can apply our expertise when fulfilling the UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention requirements," added Safa Al Kahyat.

Strategic Importance of the Dubai Warehouse

In Dubai, Kuehne+Nagel operates a 50,000 sqm warehouse in Dubai Logistics City, close to Jebel Ali Seaport and Dubai International Airport. 

Over 30,000 sqm of warehousing space, equal to 50,000 pallet positions, are dedicated to pharmaceuticals. The cold room (temperature range: 2-8°C) and ambient chambers (temperature range: 15-25°C) with additional security are used solely for temperature-sensitive healthcare-related cargo.

Customers can benefit from a range of value-added services, such as co-packing, kitting, labeling, stamping, and distribution services to domestic and international locations. Additionally, Kuehne+Nagel provides customs-related services and can be nominated as IOR (Importer of Record) or EOR (Exporter of Record) to ease import and export procedures.

"Our healthcare customers can enjoy complete solutions from the basics of storage, handling, and last mile distribution to a full range of value-added services leveraging Kuehne+Nagel's global healthcare supply chain know-how," said Lee I'Ons, GCC+ Cluster Managing Director at Kuehne+Nagel. "At the forefront of our approach in healthcare is that at the end of every supply chain is a patient."

With this solution, Kuehne+Nagel addresses the growing need of the healthcare market for more sustainable and cost-optimized supply chains, in an industry where precise temperature control and timely delivery are paramount.

The cross-dock concept features the loading and unloading of sea freight temperature-controlled containers in a GxP-compliant warehouse near an ocean port, allowing for the prompt return of empty containers to the port. At the temperature-controlled warehouse, the containers are sorted and optimized for road transportation to their final destination. This reduces the use of multiple containers and eliminates or lowers detentions charges due to a fast turnaround of container management.  

Kuehne+Nagel’s expanded network of cross-dock facilities now includes warehouses in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Atlanta, Georgia; Wilmington, North Carolina; and Los Angeles, California. Four additional locations across the country will open in 2024. All of the facilities offer multiple temperature ranges and comply with Kuehne+Nagel’s HealthChain certification, ensuring the highest global quality standards for transporting, handling, and storing of healthcare products.

“Cross-docking optimizes the time that products spend in transit, streamlines the handling process, and reduces costs and CO2 emissions,” said Jeff Garcia, Industry Champion Healthcare for Kuehne+Nagel. “We began this concept as a pilot program with a large, global human and animal health customer for their animal health division at one warehouse, resulting in a double-digit savings of costs in the container inbound process and cutting CO2 emissions by nearly half. Based on this success, we are proud to be expanding this offering to the healthcare market across the United States.”

Kuehne+Nagel accommodates the MedTech industry by launching new service options for the transportation of medical technology devices as part of its road freight offering in Europe. The MedTech industry continues to grow due to the introduction of innovative technologies that address the needs of aging populations and patients with increasingly prevalent diseases like diabetes, hypertension, asthma and heart failure. 

The extended offering answers a demand for logistics services that do not have to fulfil GxP requirements, but still meet the elevated safety and quality requirements of high-value medical and diagnostics devices. It is available in Germany, France, the UK, the Netherlands, Spain and Italy. 

As part of the service, products are transported with special handling within Kuehne+Nagel’s reliable network. Trained experts in MedTech competence centres provide a centralised customer service and proactively handle unexpected deviations.  Depending on the service option—MedTech or MedTech+—customers can also count on regular consignment inspections, end-to-end visibility, and white glove deliveries including device installation and removal of packing material. 

"What is exceptional is that customers can also choose this service option for groupage shipments, in addition to LTL and FTL. We can guarantee the quality through focused investments in safety procedures, skilled staff and specially equipped cross-docks and stations," said Joerg Woyke, Global Head of Road Logistics Healthcare. "Even when GxP compliancy is not required for medical devices, sensitive handling is highly important." 

Developing new solutions for healthcare customers is in line with Kuehne+Nagel's Roadmap 2026, with Healthcare being a growth area.

Over the past seven years, Kuehne+Nagel has grown its share of healthcare logistics in Singapore significantly, solidifying its position as a leader in the sector in the country for international air, sea, road and warehousing & distribution services. In line with its commitment to meeting its customers’ evolving supply chain needs in the region, Kuehne+Nagel Singapore is expanding its healthcare fulfilment space and capabilities.

Spanning over 48,000 sqm, Kuehne+Nagel’s Singapore Logistics Hub offers world-class connectivity in the pharmaceutical and health industries. As part of its ambitious expansion plans, the company will increase its healthcare fulfilment space by 12,000 sqm. The strategic plan also includes enhancing its current infrastructure to fulfil the demands of today's and tomorrow's healthcare and pharmaceutical distribution by land, sea, and air, as well as advanced logistical and warehousing management. This includes value-added services such as a wide range of controlled temperature storage (15-25°C, 2-8°C, -20°C) within the same facility, bundling, sterilisation protocols, and adapting to sudden changes in volume at the last mile delivery stage. 

These investments favourably impact on the entire Southeast Asia region, but a special emphasis will be placed on neighbouring Malaysia. The Singapore team will implement and monitor the successful model created by Kuehne+Nagel in Singapore.

“The local distribution network we have built in Singapore allows us to attend to emergencies in hospitals and clinics in under two hours, allowing deliveries to the operating theatre just before a procedure,” says Christophe Vandrome, Kuehne+Nagel's Contract Logistics Director for Singapore and Malaysia. “Now it's time to bring Malaysia into the fold with the knowledge, skills and experience our expert team has developed.”

“In Singapore, we have established leadership through operational excellence, specialised business practices, and customers’ trust,” adds Marcello Ferrari, Vice President Global Head of Customer Development Healthcare and Contract Logistics for Kuehne+Nagel. “Our goal is to replicate this blueprint by adopting the same approach to operations but adapting it to the specific needs of Malaysia's expanding healthcare industry.”

A present aligned with the future: Kuehne+Nagel's expansion plans in Singapore and Malaysia align with the company's ambitious Roadmap 2026. Healthcare has been identified as a critical industry for development, mirroring the sustained growth in the Asia Pacific healthcare logistics market, which is projected to continue through 2027. With ongoing investments in healthcare logistics capabilities, Kuehne+Nagel is positioning itself as a frontrunner in the healthcare supply chain industry.

Kuehne+Nagel, one of the world’s leading logistics companies, announced the opening of its Chicago facility’s expansion with a new GxP compliant area.  

At what is now one of Kuehne+Nagel’s largest healthcare facilities globally, the expansion features 21,000 sq ft of temperature-controlled space with separate areas to support a range of climate requirements – from +2°C to +25°C – specifically designed for healthcare operations. 

“This investment allows our customers and future customers to further improve the quality of their temperature-controlled supply chain with end-to-end temperature handling in our facility,” said Greg Martin, Senior Vice President, Air Logistics at Kuehne+Nagel. “As we continue to expand our healthcare footprint across North America, we are committed to investing in next-level facilities for our healthcare customers who need a company to rely on for quality assurance in the storage process.” 

The opening follows the company’s move from Elk Grove Village, IL to Bensenville, IL earlier this year, which doubled available warehouse space and allowed import and export to take place in one facility, increasing efficiency for operations spanning sea, air, road, and customs. 

Healthcare is one of six primary growth areas in Kuehne+Nagel’s Roadmap 2026, a four-year strategic plan towards the company’s vision for 2030: becoming the most trusted supply chain partner supporting a sustainable future.  

Kuehne+Nagel has opened two dedicated fulfilment centres for Elanco, a leading animal healthcare company, in Chengdu, West China. The new facilities now comprise a 3,000 sqm manufacturing warehouse and a 12,000 sqm distribution centre for finished products, increasing the total space in surface and storage capacity through optimised racking systems.

Both facilities fully comply with the regulatory healthcare requirements and are equipped with state-of-the-art infrastructure to support efficient operations while contributing to reducing carbon emissions through electric warehouse equipment, LED lighting and minimised paper processes. To streamline the process whilst satisfying the most stringent standards on healthcare products administration, a state-of-the-art Warehouse Management System and Computerised Systems Validation have been implemented for this project.

Marcello Ferrari, Vice President Global Head Customer Development Healthcare, Contract Logistics for Kuehne+Nagel said: “Our partnership with Elanco in China builds upon our existing collaborations in India and Mexico and highlights our commitment to the animal healthcare industry globally. As an animal healthcare customer, Elanco relies on the highest quality standards. With our HealthChain label, we ensure that our customers’ products are in the best hands across our entire network. Gaining our customers’ trust is a core element of our strategic Roadmap 2026.”

“China is already the second largest market for Elanco, next to the United States, our home market. Thanks to Kuehne+Nagel, we managed to consolidate our existing facilities and upgrade our supply chain operation to the next level. We are looking forward to seizing the growth opportunities in China’s fast-growing animal healthcare market with Kuehne+Nagel as our indispensable logistics partner,” said Dylan Lu, Vice President of Elanco (Greater China).

Today, Kuehne+Nagel, a global logistics company, announced details of a new contract logistics fulfillment center on the grounds of the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. Located approximately three miles from the terminals, the 400,000 sq. ft, state-of-the-art fulfillment center reflects the company’s continued commitment to investing in the healthcare vertical by serving multiple customers.

This fully pharma-grade compliant, secure, high-tech site allows Kuehne+Nagel’s partners to be assured that fulfillment center operations are at the highest levels of safety and efficiency. This includes meeting the complex storage needs of customers in the healthcare and pharmaceutical worlds with features such as four cold chambers, which are able to store products within the various temperature ranges required by the healthcare industry, including frozen ones.

“This move represents an important milestone for Kuehne+Nagel’s Contract Logistics business in North America and reinforces the company’s global commitment to the healthcare business as part of the company’s Roadmap 2026,” said Eduardo Razuck, Senior Vice President, Contract Logistics Americas for Kuehne+Nagel. “The investment in a new distribution center in the Dallas/Fort Worth area is the latest step in growing our ever-expanding network focused on supporting our healthcare and pharmaceutical customers.”

This new fulfillment center will be part of the company’s growing healthcare services offerings, providing customers the ability to focus on what is most important to them – the patients.

“This fulfillment center will support our mission to bring product integrity to the next level for our healthcare customers that require premium services for moving their products,” said Marcello Ferrari, Vice President Global Head Customer Development Healthcare, Contract Logistics for Kuehne+Nagel.  “Our focus is on the patient, and with ease of access to the significant uplift capacity at the Dallas/Fort Worth Airport, we are able to better serve not just our customers, but also patients across the country who depend on these products.”

The facility opened on April 1, and brings approximately 200 new job opportunities to the region. Visit this site to learn more about employment opportunities at Kuehne+Nagel.

Kuehne+Nagel and GSK, one of the world’s leading pharmaceutical and healthcare companies, kicked off their first joint multimodal operation in South America, departing from the Regional Distribution Center in Montevideo (Uruguay). This is the first shipment of more than 12 million of various types of vaccine doses, which will be distributed each year as part of this alliance within the region. 

Healthcare logistics is characterised by the most demanding regulatory standards, e.g., temperature-controlled cargo has to be monitored 24 hours a day. In addition, with operations in more than 100 countries, Kuehne+Nagel offers agile processes regarding multimodal connections. In this case, the coordination with the offices in Europe made the difference. This vaccine shipment departed from the port of Livorno (Italy) and was shipped by vessel to Montevideo (Uruguay), from where two exclusive charter flights took the goods to Brazil. In addition, the regional distribution includes road transport to other countries. 

Adriana Arnold, Regional Industry Champion Healthcare at Kuehne+Nagel, emphasises: "With GSK, we share a vision where quality and compliance with the highest standards are a core requirement for healthcare logistics. This does not only motivate us to develop new technologies, but also to constantly innovate and guarantee the quality of our services.” 

GSK selected Kuehne+Nagel as a partner due to its strength in the sector, its expertise in end-to-end logistics services with multimodal solutions, and the consolidation of its three specialized healthcare logistics hubs: In Chile, with a 17,600 m2 area for the storage and distribution of temperature-sensitive goods, in Panama with 3,000 m2, and in Uruguay, from where it supplies medicines and now also vaccines to more than 40 million Latin Americans. 

For Denisse Rivera, Global Vaccines Senior Manager Cold Chain & Distribution and Project Manager in charge of the implementation of the regional distribution center in Uruguay for GSK Vaccines, the start of the operations is a strategic step: “It allows us to be closer to our main markets such as Brazil and Argentina. We chose Kuehne+Nagel as our logistics partner because we know and trust in the excellence of its services, apart from the innovative proposal to establish direct flights from Montevideo to Brazil.”

Global logistics company Kuehne+Nagel announces the expansion of its healthcare contract logistics network in the United States with a new multi-client and GDP compliant facility adjacent to Indianapolis International Airport. 

The investment into the 166,000 square feet healthcare site will support the growing need for distribution facilities that are able to meet strict quality, regulatory and temperature requirements. Kuehne+Nagel is positioning the necessary infrastructure within key locations, such as Indianapolis, to better enable nationwide distribution and ensure patient access to vital healthcare products such as diabetes products. 

The site is part of a healthcare logistics campus designed to maximize the scalability, flexibility and reach of Kuehne+Nagel customers by integrating transportation and distribution management activities in the same facility. In addition, the site will be managed by tier 1 warehouse management systems, automation, and experienced personnel who understand specialized healthcare product requirements within a highly regulated environment. 

Eduardo Razuck, Senior Vice President Contract Logistics Americas at Kuehne+Nagel, says: “This latest investment underpins our commitment to healthcare logistics, which we recognize as a significant factor to our and our customer’s future success. We are excited to invest intensely in infrastructure, resources and capabilities in Indianapolis and other key markets.” 

Kuehne+Nagel’s expansion in Indianapolis comes on the heels of similar expansions in Memphis (TN), where Kuehne+Nagel manages vaccines, and Southaven (MS), where it manages medical devices. All of this supports the company’s capabilities to provide end-to-end global transportation and contract logistics solutions to healthcare companies requiring GDP standards. 

Con presencia en 21 países y considerado como uno de los operadores logísticos con mayor presencia dentro de América del Sur y Central, la multinacional Kuehne+Nagel, lleva más de 24 años distribuyendo diversos productos para el área de la salud a más de 40 millones de latinoamericanos a través de su Hub en Uruguay, número que aumenta considerando su centro en Panamá. Ambas operaciones se ubican en zonas que optimizan el tránsito de los productos.

El centro logístico de Panamá se destaca por sus oportunidades comerciales a nivel aduanero para sus servicios de distribución aéreo, marítimo y terrestre. El 85% de los productos que se manejan son cargas de material sanitario que requieren control de temperatura, por lo que cuenta con 1.550 m² exclusivos para almacenar carga de tipo médica.

El Hub en Uruguay inició sus operaciones en 1998 y está experimentando un crecimiento importante en el mercado de la salud. Transporta anualmente más de 1.500 toneladas de productos farmacéuticos vía aérea a la región.

Ingo Goldhammer, Presidente de Kuehne+Nagel para América del Sur y Central, comenta: “ Con nuestra larga trayectoria e inversiones en la región, hemos logrado construir una estructura que nos ha permitido consolidar un equipo de expertos certificados que opera este tipo de productos, donde conceptos como la calidad, mejores condiciones y tiempos óptimos, son prioridad para que la cadena de suministro se cumpla de manera exitosa, desde su inicio hasta el destino final”.

Merck, compañía líder en ciencia y tecnología en áreas del cuidado de la salud y cliente de Kuehne+Nagel, reconoce que la experiencia en el manejo de productos farmacéuticos es un diferenciador. Rodrigo Prado, Supply Network Operation Head, agrega: “La gestión de nuestros productos es muy importante para asegurar a los pacientes la calidad de nuestros medicamentos. Buscamos trabajar con proveedores que sean nuestros aliados, que cuenten con personal altamente capacitado que garanticen el control de la temperatura y la trazabilidad de cada embarque y comprometidos con el medioambiente, buscando minimizar la huella de carbono durante el proceso”.

Como parte del compromiso de Kuehne+Nagel con la sostenibilidad, tanto el centro de Panamá como el Hub de Uruguay permiten distribuir material médico vía aérea con la ayuda de un combustible sostenible de aviación neutral en CO2. Este tipo de soluciones reduce la cantidad de carbono adicional introducido en el ciclo global en al menos un 75%.

Kuehne+Nagel Ireland will open a temperature-controlled facility to meet the growing demands of the country’s thriving healthcare industry. The site, scheduled to open in late July 2022, is strategically located near the Dublin airport and Dublin port. Along with three existing healthcare warehouses, it expands Kuehne+Nagel’s healthcare footprint in Ireland to  40,000 sqm. 

Ireland is one of the largest exporters of healthcare products globally, with over 50 FDA-approved manufacturing plants. Kuehne+Nagel’s commitment as market leader in healthcare logistics in the country continues with the investment in this new facility. It supports long-term collaborative partnerships with major players in the industry, enabling them to focus on core production and R&D activities. 

The new HPRA-approved facility has been optimised for all storage, distribution, and quality activities. The facility uses energy-efficient equipment to maintain the warehouse at a controlled temperature between 15-25 degrees Celsius, and will house 34,000 Euro-pallet positions with segregated loading and unloading gates. 

Commenting on the expansion, Pamela Quinn, Managing Director of Kuehne+Nagel Ireland, says: “Pharma & Healthcare companies in Ireland are at the forefront of the research and development of advanced treatments and therapies. This new facility enables Kuehne+Nagel to support the incredible progress and we are proud to be the partners for some of the largest multinationals and companies within this industry”. 

Kuehne+Nagel Ireland today employs over 450 people. In addition to Contract Logistics, the company has a strong presence in Road Logistics, Sea Logistics and Air Logistics (with offices in Cork, Shannon and Dublin) as well as an Integrated Logistics team managing regional and global contracts for 4PL customers with a primary focus on healthcare, high-tech and consumer goods. 
 

Kuehne+Nagel has expanded its Air Logistics services with regular charters, multiple times per week, from Liège (Belgium) to the America, Asia and Africa with a fully dedicated Healthcare operation for customers. The solution, called MedConnex, addresses constraints in terms of air freight capacity, especially for cargo that requires specialised handling and transportation such as temperature-controlled and GDP-compliant shipments.

MedConnex combines the capabilities of Kuehne+Nagel Belgium’s two Air Logistics hubs. This includes an experienced team at Liège airport, Europe’s fifth largest European cargo airport with excellent capacity and landing slots, as well as a state-of-the-art building at Brussels Airport equipped with a GDP-compliant and temperature-controlled warehouse, direct tarmac access and a large stock of special packaging materials.

Geert Torfs, Air Logistics Director at Kuehne+Nagel BeLux, comments: “Europe is a major exporter of healthcare goods, and thus the charters that connect Europe with major continents is in high demand. With this service, we support our entire European network of Kuehne+Nagel colleagues when they need to ship Healthcare products for customers to the rest of the world.”

Torsten Wefers, VP Sales & Marketing at Liège Airport, says: “Liege Airport is delighted about the introduction of these regular healthcare charters of Kuehne+Nagel. We are looking forward to further strengthen our partnership and are fully committed to provide, together with the local handling partners, the best possible framework for Kuehne+Nagel’s own controlled flight program.”

QuickSTAT, a subsidiary of Kuehne+Nagel, has opened a new control tower and conditioning facility in Singapore. The investment is part of Kuehne+Nagel and QuickSTAT’s pharma and healthcare strategy to further expand their logistics capabilities to serve customers across Asia Pacific. As a leading biomedical science hub in the heart of Asia and its proximity to the rest of the region, Singapore is a strategic location for the new QuickSTAT facility.

QuickSTAT is an expert in managing global clinical trial logistics for all phases of the product lifecycle from research and drug development through to commercialisation. The company specialises in time and temperature shipping of clinical research samples, biologics, investigational drugs, clinical trial supplies and vaccines in order to help bring new drugs and medical protocols to market safely and quickly.

The new conditioning facility located at Kuehne+Nagel’s regional centre of excellence - the Singapore Logistics Hub - caters to a full suite of healthcare logistics services for all stages of the pharmaceutical product lifecycle. It provides superior management of cell and gene therapies, where QuickSTAT’s specialists will ensure proper handling, packaging and storage of the time-and-temperature sensitive products. Additionally, the facility includes a controlled-ambient warehouse and in-transit storage for vaccines, investigational drugs, patient clinical specimens and active pharmaceutical ingredient (API).

Jack Liu, Senior Vice President, Air Logistics of Kuehne+Nagel Asia Pacific said: “Kuehne+Nagel is delighted to partner with QuickSTAT to provide seamless end-to-end solutions, adding value to our pharma and healthcare customers in Asia Pacific. With the ISO-certified and GxP compliant facility that upholds the best practices for storage, conditioning, transportation, routings and logistics – I am confident that we will consistently deliver product integrity and patient safety.”

“We are committed to providing innovative and customised logistics as well as transportation solutions to meet the ever-challenging demands of the pharma, biotech and life science industry, in all regions of the world. By continuing to expand our global footprint to locations of strategic importance, we are able to provide local and global support for Kuehne+Nagel and QuickSTAT customers,” said Cyril Leger, Executive Vice President of QuickSTAT.

Kuehne+Nagel announces a strategic partnership with Jointown, China’s largest non-state-owned pharmaceutical distribution company, to accelerate its footprint in pharma and healthcare logistics in China.

As one of the leading logistics providers in the world, Kuehne+Nagel has been especially focused on developing pharma & healthcare expertise for the past decade. The partnership with Jointown now affords access to their fully GxP-compliant, in-country storage and distribution network, enabling Kuehne+Nagel to comply with the highly-regulated Chinese pharma & healthcare sector.

“We are pleased to be partnering with Jointown. Our cooperation perfectly meets the demands of our global clientele by enabling seamless supply chain coverage connecting China. This will enable us to accelerate our growth in the pharma and healthcare sector in China,” says Siewloong Wong, President of Kuehne+Nagel Asia Pacific.

Zhang Qingsong, General Manager of the logistics business unit of Jointown Pharmaceutical Group, adds: “Partnering with Kuehne+Nagel will provide Jointown’s customers access to the international market through their global GxP certified air, sea and overseas contract logistics operations. We will now be able to expand our business in overseas markets at a much faster pace and benefit from the partnership in a sustainable way.”

With Covid-19 vaccines becoming widely approved for use in more countries, Jointown and Kuehne+Nagel will collaborate to manage vaccine distribution in a safe and timely manner, leveraging their respective strengths in vaccine storage and distribution both in China and other parts of the world.

Gianfranco Sgro, Member of the Management Board of Kuehne + Nagel International AG, responsible for Contract Logistics, says: “Pharma & Healthcare is one of the fastest growing sectors in Contract Logistics. Kuehne+Nagel and Jointown share a common vision of service excellence for patients and customers in China and abroad”.

The partnership with Jointown comes shortly after Kuehne+Nagel announced that it has entered into a binding agreement to acquire the Chinese company Apex International Corporation, one of Asia’s leading freight forwarders.

Moderna, Inc. (NASDAQ:MRNA), a biotechnology company pioneering messenger RNA (mRNA) therapeutics and vaccines, and Kuehne+Nagel, a world-leading logistics company, today announced that they have agreed an international supply chain arrangement to provide distribution and storage of the Covid-19 Vaccine Moderna. This announcement follows the granting of conditional marketing authorisation by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) for Covid-19 Vaccine Moderna.

Kuehne+Nagel will support the worldwide distribution of vaccine doses from Moderna’s international supply chain, based in Europe. This includes distribution to markets in Europe, Asia, Middle East and Africa, and parts of the Americas.

“We are proud to be partnering with Kuehne+Nagel from Europe to support the distribution of vaccines to global citizens. Following the recent approvals, this is another step closer to resolving the pandemic and an exciting time for both our companies and everyone involved,” says Dan Staner, Vice President Head of EMEA region, Moderna Inc.

The arrangement includes distribution and warehousing of the vaccine from Kuehne+Nagel’s pharma hub in Europe. Kuehne+Nagel will use its network of more than 230 operations worldwide to distribute the vaccine via road and air. In Europe alone, the company operates its own fleet of over 200 dedicated pharmaceutical transport vehicles. At all stages of transport and storage, product integrity at the required temperature of -20°C will be maintained.

Robert Coyle, Senior Vice President, Pharma & Healthcare, Kuehne + Nagel Management AG, comments: “With today’s announcement, we take on the responsibility to distribute Covid-19 Vaccine Moderna around the world. We have invested in our pharma & healthcare network and our global team of experts for decades – we are ready now, for when it matters the most.”

Kuehne+Nagel’s clinical trial logistics subsidiary, QuickSTAT, has been an integral part of Moderna's vaccine supply chain as well, having supported Phase II and Phase III clinical trial supply logistics in the U.S.

Kuehne+Nagel has also signed partnerships with authorities in several countries for local storage and last-mile distribution, such in Germany’s most populous state, North Rhine-Westphalia.

Kuehne+Nagel Dubai and International Humanitarian City (IHC) sign a five year contract to run and manage IHC’s semi-automated kitting center based on a competitive process. Kuehne+Nagel has been a member of IHC since 2008. Its strategic position in the region and close proximity to Jebel Ali Port and Al Maktoum Airport allows the response to any emergency requirement to be fast and efficient. 

Securing innovative logistic infrastructure, facilities and services required to enable its members to achieve their objectives across the globe, this semi-automated kitting center has been set up at the beginning of July for humanitarian organization members of IHC to assemble their emergency and relief kits to be delivered in need to the countries around the world. Kuehne+Nagel has been running this kitting center to serve all the members of IHC for their kitting activities. Some of the supply kits such as Covid-19, malaria, school and recreation have been prepared and planned for upcoming months. Kuehne+Nagel’s capacity and capabilities have a critical role to serves all members of IHC for their rapid emergency response for humanitarian needs.

“Kuehne+Nagel has been servicing emergency and relief organizations for over thirty years. Having been selected as the exclusive provider of the semi-automated kitting center at IHC, once again demonstrates the trust and our strong long-term partnership. We are proud to be able to support all members within IHC to provide time-critical services in response to global humanitarian crisis,” says Roger Vogler, National Cluster Manager, Kuehne+Nagel United Arab Emirates and Oman.

“We recognize the professionalism and experience of Kuehne+Nagel through this contract which represent a vote of confidence to one company which is into the logistics business from many years, including the humanitarian logistics. This partnership will enable a more cost effective and faster operations. By providing this semi-automated kitting center for assembling medical, hygiene and aid kits the humanitarian community comes a step closer in achieving maximum efficiency and preparedness to respond to global humanitarian emergencies.” said Giuseppe Saba, CEO, International Humanitarian City. 

The Ministry of Labour, Health and Social Affairs of North Rhine-Westphalia has contracted Kuehne+Nagel for the logistics of Covid-19 vaccines. In coordination with the ministry in recent weeks, the logistics provider developed a comprehensive solution for storage and distribution throughout Germany’s most populous state. This solution is now ready for use.

The vaccine doses will be delivered to the state's central distribution centre operated by Kuehne+Nagel, stored in temperature pods, repackaged in smaller quantities and distributed daily in a quality-assured manner to 53 vaccination centres and other healthcare facilities throughout North Rhine-Westphalia.

Karl-Josef Laumann, Minister of Labour, Health and Social Affairs of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, says: "Vaccinating millions of people in a state as extensive as North Rhine-Westphalia is a historic task on an unprecedented scale. I am very pleased that the state has been able to secure such an experienced and competent partner for the central storage and distribution of the vaccines.ˮ

Over the past months, Kuehne+Nagel has developed a comprehensive solution for the global distribution and storage of Covid-19 vaccines. The basis for this is Kuehne+Nagel's proven, cross-transportation pharma & healthcare network with over 230 certified locations worldwide in air, sea and road logistics as well as contract logistics.

Dr. Detlef Trefzger, CEO, Kuehne + Nagel International AG, says: “Kuehne+Nagel has been preparing vaccine logistics solutions intensively for months. We made sure that the vaccine raw materials and auxiliary equipment such as syringes were in the right place; now we ensure that the Covid-19 vaccine is safely distributed from the factory to the end consumer, as in Germany’s most populous state, North Rhine-Westphalia. We are ready to support other states and countries in their Covid-19 response as well.”

With the opening of airside pharma & healthcare hubs in Brussels, Belgium, and Johannesburg, South Africa, Kuehne+Nagel adds two strategic elements to its global GxP-certified network of temperature-controlled facilities for the distribution of vaccines and other pharma & healthcare products.

As many of the temperature-sensitive products have very low to no stability outside of their stated temperature ranges, direct tarmac access at Kuehne+Nagel airside facilities even further minimises the risk of temperature excursions and ensures product integrity during the logistics journey. The new premises have dedicated areas for all ranges of temperature-sensitive products: <-20°C, +2° to +8°C and +15° to +25°C. In addition, these facilities have the ability to change or add dry ice as required for deep frozen shipment where temperatures need to be maintained below -60°C.

In Brussels, the new Air Logistics hub is located in the center of Brucargo at the confinements of Brussels airport, the first airport in the world with an IATA CEIV pharma certification. The new Kuehne+Nagel facility consists of 15,546 sqm of warehousing space and is fully connected to the recently extended Geel Contract Logistics pharma warehousing facility, as well as the pan-European KN PharmaChain Road Logistics Network managed from Luxembourg.

In Johannesburg, the expanded KN PharmaChain airside facility at the international airport answers all temperature-sensitive cargo handling, consolidation and storage requirements and offers a number of value-added logistics services before distribution in South Africa or into Africa. Additionally, the new facility provides a unique temperature-controlled plane side solution through the use of state-of-the-art KN PharmaChain cool dollies. Built to accommodate both lower deck and main deck pallet sizes, the cool dollies protect the integrity of the cargo from the aircraft directly into the airside facility’s GxP coolers.

Yngve Ruud, Member of the Management Board of Kuehne+Nagel, responsible for Air Logistics, comments: “Today, new pharma & healthcare products tend to be more valuable, more temperature-sensitive and have additional requirements for storage and transportation conditions. Such capabilities and facilities are not easily available globally. The new hubs in Brussels and Johannesburg will ensure that our pharma & healthcare customers can fully rely on Kuehne+Nagel to handle the specific challenges of integrity as well as provide end-to-end visibility and regulatory compliance along the logistics journey of their sensitive products. So, they can focus on the health and well-being of their patients; because this is what matters the most.”

Kuehne+Nagel’s quality-driven approach continues to set the industry benchmark for pharma and healthcare logistics. The company currently has over 230 GxP-certified operations worldwide – included in the pharma & healthcare network are additional hubs offering solutions for temperature-controlled needs; they are located in the US, the UK, Denmark, Spain, Luxembourg, Italy, France, Singapore, India, Panama, the UAE and Australia.

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