UPS Healthcare has opened its first dedicated healthcare facility in Ireland as it seeks to ‘support the Irish pharmaceutical and medical industry’.
The ‘first-of-its-kind healthcare logistics facility’ is located in Dublin and opened on 16 May 2024. It represents a €12 million investment, which UPS claims has created 30 new jobs.
The 82,495ft² facility ‘houses small package, freight forwarding and logistics and distribution capabilities’ and is fitted with ‘specialised technology’ to support the storage of goods at the site, as well as transportation to and from it.
This technology includes advanced cold chain storage solutions catering to a variety of temperature needs, from cooler to ambient. This allows for temperature-controlled logistics, which is required for the storage and transport of 80% of pharmaceutical products in Europe.
Cathy O’Brien, vice president for international sales at UPS Healthcare, said: “This investment marks our commitment to supporting Ireland’s world-leading pharmaceutical and medical device industries.
“We’re the only provider who can take our customers’ treatments from clinical trial right to the patient, turning logistics into a competitive advantage, one that will only help grow Ireland’s position as a central hub for the pharmaceutical industry.
“Most importantly, we can give patients the peace of mind knowing that their critical healthcare treatments and devices are in safe hands.”
The healthcare and pharmaceutical market is a significant contributor to the Irish economy, with chemicals and related products accounting for 48% of the country’s exports in January 2024. Exports of medical and pharmaceutical products increased by €2.9 billion year-on-year from 2023 to 2024, now worth over €13bn.
