DHL Strengthens Life Sciences and Healthcare Capabilities, Reinforcing Singapore’s APAC Hub Position

DHL Group is expanding its Life Sciences and Healthcare (LSHC) capabilities in Singapore through new and expanded facilities across its DHL Supply Chain, DHL Global Forwarding and DHL Express businesses.

Image: DHL Group

The investments include DHL Supply Chain’s upcoming Pharma Hub 2, DHL Global Forwarding’s Singapore Coldchain Hub and a dedicated Good Distribution Practice (GDP)-compliant healthcare handling and storage space at DHL Express’ South Asia Hub. Together, they position Singapore as a regional hub for temperature-sensitive and high-value healthcare supply chains.

Following the opening of its first Pharma Hub in Singapore last year, DHL is continuing to expand its DHL Health Logistics network and its capacity to transport, store and distribute pharmaceuticals, medical devices, clinical trial materials and other healthcare products across Asia Pacific. The investments focus on infrastructure, specialist expertise and strategic partnerships to help maintain product integrity throughout the healthcare supply chain.

A key element of the expansion is DHL Global Forwarding’s Singapore Coldchain Hub, a dedicated healthcare logistics facility that will form part of DHL’s broader Health Logistics Air Freight Network connecting pharmaceutical and life sciences markets worldwide.

Located at Changi Nexus One within Changi’s 24/7 Free Trade Zone, the S$22 million (€15 million) facility will provide 3,047 sqm of GDP-aligned temperature-controlled infrastructure for high-value, time- and temperature-sensitive healthcare cargo, including pharmaceuticals, vaccines and biologics.

The hub will include dedicated 2°C to 8°C and 15°C to 25°C handling environments. It is designed to support an unbroken cold chain from aircraft to a DHL facility and onward to customers’ warehouses, while minimising temperature excursions and reducing the need for supplementary temperature-control measures and packaging. The Singapore Coldchain Hub is scheduled to launch in late 2027.

DHL Supply Chain is expanding Singapore’s controlled-ambient pharmaceutical warehousing capacity with Pharma Hub 2. The new S$7 million (€5 million) facility will provide additional storage capacity for pharmaceutical and medical device customers, supporting warehousing, distribution, kitting and value-added healthcare logistics operations.

Spanning more than 8,000 sqm, the site will operate as a fully temperature-controlled ambient facility at 15°C to 25°C, with humidity control below 60 percent. It will accommodate approximately 7,680 pallet positions and incorporate GDP-compliant and GMP-aligned infrastructure, including dedicated redressing rooms for specialised healthcare logistics requirements.

Pharma Hub 2 is expected to begin operations in the first half of 2027. Together with the existing Pharma Hub, DHL Supply Chain’s total pharmaceutical logistics footprint in Singapore will reach approximately 16,000 sqm, with capacity for around 12,000 pallet positions.

At Changi Airport, DHL Express has installed a GDP-compliant healthcare handling and storage area of around 20 sqm at its South Asia Hub. The controlled ambient room operates at 15°C to 25°C and allows temperature-sensitive pharmaceutical shipments to move through one of the region’s key air logistics gateways.

DHL said the installation marks the first GDP-compliant healthcare logistics space within a DHL Express facility globally. GDP-compliant processes help ensure that medicines are handled under appropriate conditions, remain traceable and maintain their quality throughout the distribution journey.

The infrastructure investments are supported by continued investment in specialist healthcare logistics expertise across DHL Express, DHL Global Forwarding and DHL Supply Chain. Teams receive ongoing training in temperature-controlled handling, GDP requirements, quality management and regulatory compliance through programmes including DHL’s Certified Life Sciences Specialist programme.

DHL is also working with airlines, airport partners, healthcare manufacturers and logistics providers to strengthen the wider healthcare logistics ecosystem. DHL Express has partnered with Life Science Incubator to provide start-ups, SMEs, researchers and healthcare innovators with access to specialised logistics capabilities, while DHL Global Forwarding is working with Changi Airport Group to enhance healthcare trade lanes across Asia Pacific.

Through the combined expansion of its air freight, controlled-ambient warehousing and express handling capabilities, DHL is strengthening its ability to support the movement of temperature-sensitive and high-value healthcare products through Singapore and across Asia Pacific.

Source: DHL Group