Temperature-controlled logistics for pharmaceuticals continues to evolve in line with innovations in new technology, real-time monitoring, and stricter requirements for new therapies entering the market.

“Over the past year, logistics providers have been adopting digital technologies, ranging from IoT and blockchain to AI, to enhance transparency, efficiency and reliability. In particular, real-time monitoring has become more integrated, enabling greater visibility across supply chains to reduce risk and ensure product efficacy when it reaches the end patient,” Niklas Adamsson, COO at Envirotainer, said.

Today’s landscape

Maintaining a robust and reliable cold chain for airfreight pharmaceuticals presents several challenges, especially with the current global supply chain disruptions.

Supply chain disruptions can significantly impact the delivery of pharmaceutical supplies and treatments, with global warming creating unpredictable weather conditions, such as flooding, landslides, and storm damage. Even five years on from the pandemic, geopolitical instability and economic pressures continue to create pressure and challenges. Extreme weather and global instability will affect airfreight routes, making preparedness and collaboration essential in enhancing resilience and adaptability.

One of the biggest challenges is maintaining strict temperatures when transporting medicines from origin to destination.

“On their journey, medicines may pass through varying extreme temperatures and regions with different infrastructure available. With these variables in mind, finding suitable logistics and packaging solutions can be difficult,” Adamsson stated.

Another challenge companies face is increasing unpredictability and geopolitical tensions, which is contributing to higher pharmaceutical costs and increased risk.

“To address this, pharmaceutical manufacturers need to ensure that they partner with a reliable supplier who has the expertise, global network and solutions available to mitigate these risks so that patients can receive the medicines they need,” Adamsson expressed. “Strong relationships with stakeholders are also needed to effectively manage the supply chain, securing capacity for shipments and maintaining flexibility.”

Sustainable initiatives

The industry is seeing a need for solutions to transport pharmaceuticals more sustainably. Focusing on reducing CO2 emissions in the supply chain has become an increasing focus for all stakeholders, so having lightweight, volume efficient solutions is key.

“To strike the right balance between cost, sustainability and risk, the pharmaceutical industry is embracing innovative packaging, such as reusable solutions, real-time monitoring and optimised logistics – all aimed at reducing emissions and waste while still prioritising patient safety,” Adamsson highlighted.

Adopting lighter, space-efficient packaging can lower fuel consumption and transport costs, as well as reduce journey time and reduce emissions.

“It’s important to understand that the choice in packaging solution can have an impact on sustainability goals and that cost, efficiency and protecting patient safety really can go hand in hand,” he continued.

Innovation to the core

This year, the industry witnessed remarkable innovations across the broader pharmaceutical distribution landscape. One standout development was the rapid growth of direct-to-patient logistics – pharmaceutical companies have made strides in delivering treatments directly to patients’ homes. These advancements not only enhance patient access but also reflect a wider trend towards personalised, patient-centric supply chains.

“AI and predictive analytics are continuously transforming the pharmaceutical cold chain, by optimising routing and scheduling, boosting efficiency, and reducing transit times,” Adamsson outlined. “Through predictive analytics, AI can foresee disruptions, such as weather delays, ensuring that temperature-sensitive shipments are delivered on time and disruptions are minimised. This has meant that deliveries can be done efficiently, and disruptions are avoided. This control over route timings means that logistic providers can select the right packaging, depending on autonomy and temperature requirements.”

Additionally, AI can also analyse data provided by sensors on cargo containers to predict and prevent equipment failures, ensuring continuous operation, reliability and minimising downtime. This can also predict when equipment is due for maintenance, allowing for it to be proactively removed from the fleet before an issue occurs.

“Real-time tracking from AI also enables the monitoring of cargo locations, conditions, and compliance with temperature requirements, increasing transparency and reducing the risk of reliability issues,” he added.

Preparing for the next decade

The pharmaceutical cold chain is quickly becoming a cornerstone of global supply chains, shaped by new regulations, innovation, and the need for resilience. Looking ahead, the industry’s focus should be on smarter packaging, agile supply routes, and solutions that address the growing complexity of global healthcare demands.

As mentioned, AI will continue to be one of the biggest transformations in pharmaceutical air freight. Predictive analytics will evolve not only to provide more accurate forecasts but also to enable proactive risk management, by anticipating disruptions before they occur.

“In the future, AI-driven automation, from autonomous warehouses to self-optimising logistics networks, will further streamline operations and drive cost efficiency,” Adamsson stated. “The companies that rapidly adopt and refine AI-powered capabilities now will gain a decisive edge in speed, efficiency, and resilience, redefining best practices in supply chain management for years to come.”

Finally, collaboration is key. Future preparedness must focus on securing logistics capacity through strategic partnerships and pre-agreed contracts that guarantee access when demand spikes, rather than scrambling for space during an emergency.

“Only by fostering collaboration between manufacturers, importers, distributors and equipment providers can the pharmaceutical industry hope to balance sustainability, cost and accessibility in the face of global warming or the next geopolitical tension,” Adamsson expressed. “Companies that prepare now and find the right balance will be more efficient and gain a competitive edge in a market that demands both resilience and responsibility.”