UPS Healthcare has invested €55m (US$60m) in two facilities in Italy – adding 100,000m2 of warehouse space in Passo Corese near Rome and Somaglia in Lodi.
With the investment, UPS Healthcare intends to make both the Passo Corese and Somaglia facilities compliant with good distribution and good manufacturing practices, making the warehouses safe for medical and pharmaceutical products.
The Passo Corese site will be upgraded with the latest automation technology, including more than 80 robots, capable of climbing 12m shelves, that can autonomously pick and sort up to 25,000 crates.
The Somaglia hub will be able to offer critical temperature-controlled environments from as low as -20°C, serving Italy’s growing pharmaceutical market.
Both facilities are designed to the latest sustainability building standards and will have heating and cooling systems powered by on-site solar panels.
“These new facilities extend our cold chain capabilities and sustainable end-to-end solutions to support our customers, now and in the future,” said Felipe Morgulis, president of UPS Healthcare, Europe and LATAM.
“Most importantly, we can give patients peace of mind knowing that their critical healthcare treatments and devices are in safe hands.”