DHL Global Forwarding opens a new logistics center for life science and healthcare products at Amsterdam-Schiphol. The new Life Science Competence Center is located next to the airport at the Schiphol Southeast business park.

The center serves as a hub for the transport, transport preparation, temporary storage, and transport follow-up of active and passive temperature-controlled pharmaceutical and medicinal products. The facility covers 1,000 square meters and involved an investment of one million euros. The center is run by 14 specially trained logistics specialists.

“Dealing with increasingly sensitive pharmaceutical products, often of high value, that have specific handling and temperature tolerances brings new complexity to the supply chain,” said Nigel Wing, Global Head Life Sciences & Healthcare, DHL Global Forwarding. “With its strategic location at Amsterdam Schiphol airport, this new competence center further strengthens our existing temperature-controlled network worldwide.”

The facility is one of the largest and most modern of its kind in the transport sector in the Netherlands. One area is dedicated to pharmaceutical products that must be stored at constant temperatures between two and eight degrees Fahrenheit, while the second one allocated to a controlled temperature range of between 36 to 46 degrees. There is a special temperature-controlled loading area, with a loading dock for both ULDs and pallets. Actively cooled containers can be charged and dry ice can be replenished. The center is equipped with numerous temperature and humidity sensors that immediately sound an alarm should conditions fall outside of established parameters.

The center meets the latest safety standards and complies with all European directives that apply to such transportation and storage facilities.

The services offered by the forwarding division of DHL in the new competence center cover the needs of the growing number of customers looking for global end-to-end solutions in temperature controlled air transport. The logistics center will also provide DHL Thermonet, the standard product of DHL Global Forwarding for managing temperature sensitive air freight shipments. DHL Thermonet provides seamless temperature visibility along the supply chain, 24/7 proactive monitoring and intervention based on pre-determined touch points and DHL’s RFID SmartSensor technology.