Senior decision makers in the healthcare industry and logistics providers expect the volume of temperature sensitive airfreight to grow at 10% per annum for the next five years, according to research conducted by a leading consulting firm on behalf of Envirotainer, the pioneer of active temperature controlled air transportation solutions.
While confident of continued market growth, participants in the research expect to see an even stricter regulatory environment, placing greater emphasis than ever before on the importance of quality ' the most important buying criteria ' and the handling of their products in the cold chain.
Although the characteristics of an ideal temperature controlled solution partner vary between pharmaceutical companies, there is broad agreement that historical failures and poor reliability are the prime factors that would make customers change service providers. This reflects the sensitivity and high value of healthcare products, where the contents of a single container of insulin and human vaccines can be valued at US$1 million and distribution programs requiring up to 100 container movements a month are not uncommon.
The research was carried out to support Envirotainer's five-year strategic planning process which will see the company make significant investments in the coming years to increase its market leader position. Envirotainer plans, to help satisfy growing customer demand, take advantage of new business opportunities and increase market share by focusing on improved quality of both containers through new technology and on handling through training and qualification/certification of partners in the supply chain. These initiatives, combined with the continued development of cold chain services, are expected to enable Envirotainer to increase turnover by more than 200% over the next five years.
Martin Peter, Envirotainer's Director, Business Development and Marketing, said, 'The healthcare industry is one of the biggest users of air cargo services and many airlines and freight forwarders have developed customized cold chain products and services to meet the strict quality guidelines customers require and, in turn, attract the higher cargo yields that are available for these specialist solutions. It is therefore very good news for all cold chain service providers that this is set to be one of the fastest growing logistics markets over the next five years.
'Quality and handling are two of the key areas where customers expect Envirotainer to continue to provide a managed solution along with the continued development of temperature monitoring. This qualitative research will not only help to shape the future direction of our business, it also supports the high level of investment we are currently making to introduce new technology and additional services as well as extending our fleet and network."
