DHL Global Forwarding, the air and ocean freight specialist within Deutsche Post DHL, announced that 15 more certified life sciences stations are going live this year, primarily in the Americas and EMEA regions. Adding to the existing Thermonet network, DHL is spreading the service across the globe for life sciences and healthcare customers with temperature-controlled airfreight shipment needs.

“Our customers in the life sciences and healthcare sector are looking for better ways to manage the risk of product damage and loss from temperature deviations in increasingly long and diverse supply chains globally. With DHL Thermonet we are defining the new standard to tackle these requirements,” said Roger Crook, CEO at DHL Global Forwarding, freight and executive board sponsor for the life sciences and healthcare sector.

In recent years, temperature-controlled products for the pharmaceutical industry have gained significantly in importance. The driving force is biotechnology products, which generally must be kept within a strict temperature range during transportation. Since 2004, the worldwide sales volume of this product category has tripled and further growth is expected.

The current DHL Thermonet network with 45 stations in operation is also growing fast and progressively, driving DHL’s sector capabilities globally. The new stations are spread over the Americas with one each in Argentina, Chile, Colombia and Canada as well as two stations each in Brazil and Venezuela. In EMEA, new stations in Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Israel and Sweden will join the network along with one new station in South Africa. All stations will be audited against globally-defined good distribution practices to ensure conformity across the network.

DHL Thermonet provides seamless temperature visibility along the supply chain, 24/7 proactive monitoring and intervention based on predetermined touch points and DHL’s RFID SmartSensor technology, that is GDP certified. Temperature data and logistics events can be accessed via the proprietary LifeTrack IT platform that also houses all product-specific SOPs, facilitating early intervention and simplifying document control. DHL Global Forwarding is looking to further spread the Thermonet network. By the end of the year, over 65 stations across the globe will be integrated.

The Thermonet solution will be offered in Malta through DHL Global Forwarding’s exclusive agent B.A.S. Limited.

The solution will be showcased during the Life Science Dialogue to be held for importers and exporters of pharmaceutical products in September.