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UPS Expands Cold-Chain Network With 27 New Pharma Facilities

United Parcel Service is deploying $48 million to establish 27 temperature-controlled cross-dock facilities globally. The expansion targets surging demand from pharmaceutical, biotech and medical laboratory shippers requiring precise cold-chain management. The facilities span Europe, Asia and the Americas near major air and multimodal transportation hubs. Each location meets International Air Transport Association pharmaceutical handling standards and enables rapid air-to-ground and ground-to-ground transfers while minimizing traditional warehouse storage. The expansion follows UPS's late 2024 openings in Milan and Frankfurt. Advanced therapies including cell treatments, gene therapies, mRNA vaccines and GLP-1 medications drive demand growth. Temperature-sensitive biologics are projected to expand 8.3 percent annually through 2033, reaching $39.1 billion. Cold-chain failures cost the industry up to $35 billion yearly and account for roughly 50 percent of global vaccine waste.