Pharma logistics welcome you to Basel!
This year’s Pharma Logistics Days (PLD), which are being staged in Basel on 27 and 28 September, is the 4th edition of this important national meeting. The PLD is an integral part of Ilmac, a top industry event for the chemical and life sciences in Switzerland, and offers visitors a wide-ranging two-day programme of lectures, logistics solutions and networking. In the run-up to the event, ITJ editor-in-chief Christian Doepgen spoke to key PLD organisers Gian Carlo Alessi, of LPL Lamprecht Pharma Logistics; Urs Suter, of BPL Biotech & Pharma Logistics; and Céline Futterknecht, the MCH Group’s brand director Ilmac (life sciences).
Ms Futterknecht, how important is logistics for the two major Swiss industries – chemistry and life sciences?
Pharmaceuticals logistics play a key role in the chemistry and life sciences industries. They’re crucially important for the safe and efficient transport of highly sensitive substances and products.
Pharmaceuticals logistics ensure that medicines, chemicals and other vital materials are stored, transported and distributed under optimal conditions. They thus make a significant contribution to the safety, quality and effectiveness of medicines and other products, and are thus an indispensable part of the value chain in these industries.
Mr Suter, what are the limits to pharmaceuticals logistics’ growth? Do you think the number of logistics players will continue to rise in line with demand?
Looking at the developments of recent years I assume that the number of pharmaceuticals logistics companies will continue to increase in the coming years. This growth can’t be attributed solely to the dynamics in the pharmaceutical sector, however, but also to further business opportunities in the healthcare sector, such as ‘cannabis logistics’, as well as to ever more products in the medical equipment segment that have to be transported. We mustn’t forget, either, that companies are keen that their temperature-sensitive goods are shipped in accordance with GDP standards – even though many such goods aren’t subject to GDP regulations yet.
Despite these promising developments and the great potential for growth, pharmaceuticals logistics and distribution activities will continue to face major challenges, as each region has different market risks and problems.
So a detailed analysis has to be carried out, on the basis of the challenges and the expected growth, in order to identify the right – as well as the ‘compliant’ – pharmaceuticals logistics provider.
Mr Alessi, what path did the Pharma Logistics Days take to its current format?
The idea for this trade fair came from Urs Suter, who was then the managing director of Lamprecht Pharma Logistics. He was of the opinion that the pharmaceutical industry was very much at home in Basel, and that Basel should therefore be considered as the natural venue for such a trade fair.
This is how the idea of a one-day in-house exhibition was born in 2018, staged at Lamprecht Pharma Logistics’ centre in Pratteln, just outside Basel. The organiser of Ilmac was one of the participants there, which led to the Pharma Logistics Day 2019 being born. That year it was a one-day event held parallel to Ilmac.
We saw that global developments made it time to take the PLD to the next level. In 2021 the conference then became a two-day event, called the Pharma Logistics Days. This year the fourth edition of the PLD is set to take place over two days and as a special event that is part of Ilmac, as mentioned.
Accordingly, the Pharma Logistics Days are now organised by the company Messe Basel, with the support of a four-member committee from the pharmaceuticals logistics industry.
Ms Futterknecht, what are the advantages of Basel as the site of the PLD?
Basel plays a very prominent role in the field of pharmaceuticals logistics. Renowned pharmaceutical companies and research institutions are located in the city of Basel, making it an important site for the production as well as the transport of pharmaceutical products.
The storage and transport of sensitive medicines is subject to very strict regulations, and specialised logistics companies based in Basel are ready to comply with these. Basel as a centre for trade fairs also reflects Switzerland’s chemical industry and life sciences market – which also includes the sector’s logistics, Ilmac and the Pharma Logistics Days. We’re looking forward to the 400 exhibitors and expect to welcome more than 10,000 visitors!
Mr Suter, the demands made of pharmaceuticals logistics are constantly rising. How can trade visitors be sure of the professionalism of suppliers?
All of the exhibitors at the PLD are specialists for pharmaceuticals logistics and are strongly anchored in their fields. The exhibitors at the Pharma Logistics Days don’t approach the meeting as a sales fair, but rather as a modern communication and knowledge transfer platform.
I recommend that visitors engage in personal conversations at the event itself – this will enable them to assess the professionalism of the providers present.
Mr Alessi, which key aspect of pharmaceuticals logistics do you focus on most?
The issue of sustainability is definitely one of the key matters and will become an ever more integral element and decision-making criterion in every aspect of the industry in future, including invitations to tender, for example.
It’s also very important that the various players are willing to accept the costs involved and are willing to distribute them fairly. There’s a great potential for further optimisation in various fields and I’m confident of a lot more to come in this context.
Ms Futterknecht, what are Ilmac’s expectations of the Pharma Logistics Days?
The Pharma Logistics Days have been an integral part of Ilmac since 2019 and we fully expect it to be a successful format for exhibitors and visitors again this year.
We’ve changed the concept for the benefit of the participants, so that they no longer have to pay a separate entrance fee to attend the Pharma Logistics Days. They can now visit both Ilmac as well as the Pharma Logistics Days on 27 and 28 September with just one ticket. We’ve also managed to expand the event even further and more successfully, thanks to the strengthening of our extended committee.
We want to reach a larger community through the new expanded format, one that takes a holistic approach to developing sustainable solutions and products for the future. Above all, the two events have been designed as a meeting place that connects the chemical, life sciences and pharmaceuticals logistics industries and promotes their business ideas.
Mr Suter, how can guests best prepare for a visit, so that they can take as effective impressions as possible with them?
The list of exhibitors has been published and the conference programme is available on our website.
Every segment of the pharmaceuticals supply chain is covered at the Pharma Logistics Days, so visitors can obtain the necessary information that specifically fits their own requirements. You can also continue your education in certain fields. It’s important that visitors know their questions and concerns in advance and that they study the conference programme in advance.
Mr Alessi, what key players has the team of organisers managed to attract to this important national trade fair?
We’re pleased that players from a variety of sectors will be present at the trade fair, including airlines, trucking companies, enterprises from the packaging sector, logistics firms with a focus on transport, contract logisticians and services provider from the container segment.
In principle, the entire supply chain is mapped in one place. You can find out who’s who by consulting the list of exhibitors also published in this guide to the conference.
This interview was conducted by ITJ editor-in-chief Christian Doepgen.