The cool chain is experiencing a significant transformation within the logistics industry as it adapts to the post-pandemic model that has emerged, with a stronger focus on ensuring the integrity of the supply chain and confronting environmental concerns. “I think the industry has kind of reinvented itself, being more riskfocused, managing all the possible threats to the supply chain,” Envirotainer’s Chief Operating Officer Niklas Adamsson, explained.

“The post-Covid position has forced companies to level up their operations in terms of risk management procedures. “As well as that, over the last couple of years there has been far more focus on sustainability. Everyone has some responsibility concerning sustainability, for our current generation and future generations, so those are the strong trends we are seeing,” he continued.

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With the world’s largest container fleet and an extensive network, Envirotainer’s team was clear in pointing out its role to, therefore, provide both the most reliable and most sustainable solutions available through integrating innovative ideas.

“We must provide the best solutions to the market, meaning making use of technology to ensure you can load as much pharma as possible in the most secure equipment possible,” Envirotainer’s Chief Commercial Officer Delphine Perridy Boile added.

“This supports sustainability in terms of environmental efficiency and cost efficiency. “One of the UN Sustainability Development goals is providing global access to pharma. We play a gigantic role as an industry to protect pharma and ensure its swift and secure delivery around the world.

“We have geopolitical issues in the world, which we need to manage, we have many potential disruptions, so high-performing, highly sustainable solutions are critical.”

Monitoring capabilities

With environmentally friendly operations, cost-cutting and security of goods crucial to this strategy, Envirotainer’s team were keen to point to the role of digitalisation and innovation in delivering visibility, connectivity and confidence to customers. This involves a mixture of approaches, including making the best use of data that is collected, not just for immediate operational efficiency but also for longer-term predictive approaches, such as maintenance of the fleet. “Digitalisation is a key part of operations,” Adamsson declared.

“With our new Releye solution, we have live monitoring capabilities, allowing us to access real-time data. Additionally, our Control Tower service enables us to promptly address any issues by reaching out to our customers and finding immediate solutions.” “Data can be used in many ways. From a customer’s point of view, data helps us provide better service. Additionally, we use runtime data to implement more sustainable maintenance programmes. This marks a significant shift in the industry from time-based maintenance to condition-based maintenance,” Boile added.

“For example, we’ve restructured our battery replacement programme, prolonging battery life based on data insights. This change has a significant impact on sustainability and cost efficiency.”

Enhanced portfolio

Back in 2023, authorisation was given for a merger between Envirotainer and va-Q-tec’s pharmaceutical business, with the latter being combined under the Envirotainer name and brand. With the formalities agreed, the first day of the new partnership will legally be 4th September 2024, allowing Envirotainer to offer a comprehensive and unparalleled temperature-controlled offering.

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“The goal is to enhance our offering and provide our customers with a comprehensive range of solutions, including traditional, advanced passive, and active options,” Adamsson explained.

The move will seek to cover the entire lifecycle of the product and all segments of the pharma industry, focusing on three key dimensions: volume, whether shipping five pallets or small volumes for targeted medications, this will accommodate various shipment sizes; temperature range, covering a broad temperature range, from -195 to +35 degrees celsius; and product type, handling a wide range of products, from clinical materials to application programming interface (API), raw materials, and commercial drugs.

“Additionally, we are enhancing our ability to serve customers by expanding our already extensive network,” Boile outlined. “Currently, at Envirotainer, we have the largest network of stations for active solutions. By integrating the va-Q-tec network, our reach will expand even further, offering unparalleled coverage across Europe and Africa.

“In terms of scale, we will have the largest fleet of both active and passive solutions, as well as the most extensive range of container sizes. This means we can provide a solution for any customer need at any time. “Our customers can rely on our state-of-the-art service levels and comprehensive portfolio to deliver consistently, without ever questioning our ability to meet their demands.”