FOR LIFE SCIENCES

in supply chains, emphasising the need for robust and reliable logistics networks.

“I think Covid made everybody realise that things were taken for granted. You saw that the interconnectivity between all these players around the world is very important and everybody realised we don’t know enough about the supply chain,” Mercader explained. “There was a realisation after Covid that we have to invest because it’s more important than we think.”

Furthermore, the pivotal role played by Puerto Rico in manufacturing essential medications during the pandemic underscored the importance of a strong logistics infrastructure to support life-saving operations.

“Medicine was coming out of the island to help with the Covid pandemic, so there was a recognition that we could deliver this to the world by having a community in place,” he continued.

Target markets

While the United States remains the primary market for Puerto Rico’s life sciences air cargo community, the long-term vision includes expanding direct imports and exports to other nations.

“If Puerto Rico was a US state, it would be the 20th biggest in population and the biggest in terms of life sciences,” Mercader highlighted. “I think the biggest market will be the United States for the coming years but, in the end, there will be direct imports and exports to other nations.”

Currently, the community benefits from domestic flights to major US cities where integrators have established their hubs. This connectivity provides a strong foundation for growth and optimisation, making Puerto Rico an attractive location for pharmaceutical companies.

“I think there’s a feeling that Puerto Rico is a hidden gem,” Jonas Van Stekelenburg, an advisor to the Puerto Rico Department of Economic Development and Commerce, said. “If you turn those domestic flights into international flights, the potential is very big. If you look at the numbers, it’s bigger than people thought.”

Raising the bar

Achieving sustainable, state-of-the-art logistics is a core objective of the community. By fostering collaboration and joint projects, the community seeks to develop standardised operating procedures, advanced track and trace capabilities, and efficient recovery protocols for shipments. The focus is on sharing best practices and leveraging the collective strengths of the industry leaders to raise the bar and establish Puerto Rico as a global exemplar in life sciences logistics.

“Standardisation requires a lot of trust in the community, so it’s easier to do through IATA’s CEIV certification,” said Van Stekelenburg. “Everybody will be trained in the same manner and it will lead to standardisation.”

Looking ahead, the community aims to bring together all major pharmaceutical and medical device companies to align their processes and ensure seamless operations.

“The sector is growing exponentially, so I think in the end it will see even more life sciences goods and perishable cargo,” Van Stekelenburg said. “The shipments are certainly getting more and more sophisticated.”

While a specific timeline has yet to be defined, the community’s spirit and momentum are already driving progress towards this ambitious goal.