Richard Ettl CEO and Co-Founder SKYCELL
Where has SkyCell seen growth over the last year?
We are riding the biologics wave. Growth in new vaccines, cancer drugs and weight-loss therapies continue, with drugs that are temperature sensitive and high value. On the vaccine side, for example, we are shipping a new highly temperature-sensitive Dengue fever vaccine for one of our pharma clients.
Within the cancer sector, growth is driven by the high value of these drugs. Weight-loss therapies are a relatively newer area for us, and we’ve partnered with one of the major players in this field. What are key developments in SkyCell’s products?
The 1500X hybrid container is now our best-selling product — exactly what we hoped for when we developed it. As the industry ships more valuable products, it is seeking better equipment to reduce product loss. How is SkyCell implementing AI in its products?
We are launching an AI tool in partnership with Microsoft. Leveraging Copilot AI, this tool allows real-time monitoring of shipments. Currently, data is only available at the end of a shipment’s journey, meaning companies may have to destroy a pallet or conduct costly investigations if something went wrong en route.
Our AI agent, by contrast, monitors shipments automatically, using machine learning to help prevent damage that could affect shelf life or efficacy. With this, SkyCell is evolving beyond specialized containers to provide monitoring software and preventative risk management. What is driving growth in cold chain logistics more widely?
The cold chain logistics industry is growing at over 25% per year due to the increasing number of temperature-sensitive products coming to market. With pharmaceutical regulation continuing to become more stringent, companies must be able to prove their products have full efficacy and shelf-life.
Growth is also being driven by technological investments, like real-time monitoring, wrapped up in AI and digitization efforts. That in turn requires new sensor technology and software to process and act on the data.
Fabrice Panza Global Cool Chain Solutions Head, GDP Pharma Responsible Person ETIHAD CARGO
What are highlights from 2024 for Etihad Cargo, and PharmaLife specifically?
2024 was a record-breaking year, marking the fifth consecutive year of double-digit growth. PharmaLife has been the strongest-growing segment of Etihad Cargo’s special products since 2020. Two factors are driving this growth: the overall expansion of the healthcare and life sciences industries, and our targeted investments in this sector. In 2024, we introduced cool dollies, completing our product offering.
We are closely monitoring trends in the pharmaceutical industry, and cell and gene therapies, in particular, are having a significant impact on traditional pharma logistics. These therapies influence packaging requirements, physical and documentation flows, and the capacity needed to track highly valuable products. What was the motivation behind introducing cool dollies and what benefits will they bring?
A critical factor in the air cargo pharma supply chain is the time spent on the tarmac. Tarmac time is a key element in airline transportation and must be carefully managed. We have made it our priority to provide a solution for this. Previously, we used advanced pre-cooled thermal covers, but we decided to take the next step. We partnered with EAS (Etihad Airport Services) to introduce dedicated cool dollies. These cool dollies offer a seamless transit experience. They are equipped with thermal sensors to monitor conditions and are built to be sustainable. How does Etihad use technology to optimize flights and PharmaLife workflows?
We are also partnering with Validaide, an advanced digital platform for pharma lane management that supports our risk assessment capabilities, while Envirotainer provides cutting-edge ULD technology. Their ULDs are equipped with the latest generation of sensors, including RelEye, which collect data on location, temperature and humidity. We use this data for predictive analysis and to validate the sustainability of our processes. Other partners, such as Csafe and Skycell, are also investing significantly in IoT to enhance real-time visibility.