UPS Healthcare has announced a new set of facilities as it continues its global expansion. The company stated the facilities are designed to bring unprecedented capabilities to global healthcare logistics customers.
One of the newer cold chain and packaging facilities opens in Louisville, Kentucky, and is located on the UPS Healthcare campus near the Worldport global air hub.
According to UPS, the new Louisville facility is part of an ongoing, aggressive strategy by UPS Healthcare to expand its global footprint. The company hopes that the expansion will bring increased flexibility and efficiency to customers, as well as unmatched cold chain capabilities.
The facility, named the ‘Cold Chain Packaging Center of Excellence,’ is the company’s first U.S.-based logistics facility to offer reusable cold chain packaging options for customers. The company hopes that the facility will utilize the entire life cycle of temperature-controlled packages and thus contribute to a circular economy.
The company’s temperature-controlled facilities are designed to handle biologically derived drugs, such as vaccines, at any temperature. According to the Biopharma Cold Chain Sourcebook, cold chain trends show an expected growth of 48% between 2018 and 2024 for medicines that require at least 2 to 8 degrees Celsius storage and shipping.
The overall market for cold chain services (packaging, transportation, and data services) is expected to significantly accelerate over the next three years, growing up to 24% by 2024, after posting a 10% increase from 2019 to 2020.
UPS stated that its success with COVID-19 vaccine delivery has created long-term value in the future delivery of new drugs, especially biologics.
Chief Corporate Affairs Officer Laura Lane commented: “Not only does the new facility expand our offerings for cold chain logistics, but the reusable packaging cuts down on single-use waste, creating more sustainable options and driving significant cost savings for our customers.”
Source: UPS
