DHL Group has announced a strategic investment of EUR 2 billion over the next five years to enhance its logistics capabilities in the Life Sciences & Healthcare (LSH) sector, with EUR 500 million going to Asia Pacific. The region’s rising spending power, growing volumes of the middle class, and also a rapidly aging population have attracted innovation and investment into the healthcare sector over the past few years.
This investment supports the Group’s “Strategy 2030” and reinforces DHL’s commitment to helping healthcare customers grow, innovate, and serve patients more effectively worldwide. With 50% of the investment allocated to the Americas, 25% to Asia Pacific, and 25% to the EMEA region, DHL is expanding its global footprint to deliver integrated, faster, more reliable, and patient-centric logistics solutions wherever healthcare companies operate.
The investment will focus on enhancing high-quality infrastructure and technology across all logistics touchpoints – from storage, order fulfillment, and distribution to global shipping and last-mile delivery – creating even more resilient, scalable, and responsive supply chains for customers. A significant part of the investment will be allocated to establishing new cross-divisional Good Distribution Practice (GDP)-certified Pharma Hubs for multi-temperature shipments lanes, expanding cold chain capacity in existing facilities, commissioning new temperature-controlled vehicles, and enhancing both passive and active packaging solutions to ensure sustainable delivery.
As the demand grows in critical areas such as clinical trials, biopharma, and cell and gene therapies, DHL is also investing in high-quality, specialized cooling infrastructure to accommodate low and ultra-low temperature ranges. Additionally, the Group will implement cutting-edge IT systems that provide end-to-end visibility, ensuring product integrity, regulatory compliance, and confidence for healthcare providers and their patients.
With its new sector brand DHL Health Logistics, the Group consolidates its life sciences and healthcare expertise under one unified umbrella. This creates a seamless, end-to-end experience for customers, simplifying the management of complex, cross-border supply chains with confidence, agility and high-quality service. The approach is designed to meet the needs of pharmaceutical, biopharma, and medical customers who require agile, connected logistics solutions that go beyond traditional service lines.
“Similar to DHL Group’s purpose of “Connecting people, improving lives”, our strategic investment in Life Sciences & Healthcare is driven by our customers’ mission: delivering essential, often life-saving products to people in need,” said Oscar de Bok, CEO of DHL Supply Chain. “We’re building high-quality, integrated logistics solutions that are as innovative and reliable as the products our customers create – ensuring that patients everywhere receive the right treatment, at the right time, with complete confidence.”
DHL Group has long been a trusted partner in life sciences and healthcare logistics, contributing over EUR 5 billion in global revenue in 2024. With an additional EUR 5 billion in projected incremental revenue by 2030, DHL Group is scaling its operations to match the fast-evolving needs of the industry and its end-users – healthcare professionals and patients alike.
Through this strategic investment, DHL Group is not only reinforcing its commitment to the Life Science and Healthcare sector but also demonstrating a profound dedication to patient care by ensuring the efficient and reliable delivery of essential pharmaceutical products, clinical trials and cell & gene therapies. This approach positions DHL Group at the forefront of the industry, fully equipped to tackle challenges and seize opportunities in a rapidly transforming market.
Currently, DHL Group operates nearly 600 sites, hubs, and warehouses across close to 130 countries dedicated to Life Sciences & Healthcare logistics, encompassing a total of more than 2.5 million square meters of temperature-controlled warehouse space. Building on this extensive network, our customers benefit from a comprehensive portfolio of fully integrated solutions.
In Asia Pacific, DHL has more than 300,000 square meters of fully compliant warehousing space in 15 countries, with facilities to be announced in Singapore, Malaysia and Korea.
In addition to infrastructure investments, DHL Group has recently acquired CRYOPDP, a leading specialty courier focused on clinical trials, biopharma, and cell and gene therapies, to further strengthen its capabilities in this segment and expand the potential of its Pharma Specialized Network as part of the overall investment strategy.
