Niklas Adamsson, chief operating officer at Envirotainer discusses why pharma must look beyond its own walls to strengthen supply chain resilience.
Vitalii Vodolazskyi Shutterstock
Five years after the largest pharmaceutical airlift in history, supply chains are more resilient, however the risks they face have not disappeared. The COVID-19 vaccine rollout was a relentless stress test for the pharmaceutical industry, revealing both its strengths and breaking points.
Some called the pandemic a Black Swan event – a crisis few saw coming, yet one that reshaped industries overnight. But hindsight suggests warning signs were there, and the real question is whether we are better prepared for whatever comes next.
Looking ahead, the next major crisis, whether another pandemic, geopolitical instability or an unforeseen disruption, will test how well those lessons have been applied. And if the industry is not ready, it will be manufacturers, and ultimately patients, who pay the price.
Who will deliver when it matters?
Readiness is not just about stockpiling supplies or refining production timelines. It depends on the strength of the partnerships that keep supply chains moving, because no manufacturer succeeds alone.
Strong partnerships across the supply chain, spanning logistics providers, container suppliers, and airlines, are what determines who can maintain supply chain resilience in a crisis. Manufacturers that invest in long-term relationships, treating logistics as a strategic function rather than a procurement challenge, will be the ones best positioned to adapt when disruption strikes.
The COVID-19 vaccine rollout proved this. The urgency of distribution forced the creation of temporary high-volume supply chains, such as emergency routes from China to South America. Some of these were built on pre-existing partnerships, but many had to be formed from scratch under immense pressure. Those with established relationships had a clear advantage, while those without them were left scrambling.
The key takeaway is clear. Logistics cannot be treated as a commodity service, bought and sold at the lowest possible rate. Manufacturers that engaged directly with container providers, airlines, and cold chain technology firms, not just freight forwarders, were better positioned to secure capacity and maintain flexibility as demand surged. The next crisis will again favour manufacturers who invest in strong, multi-tiered partnerships that can be activated quickly when the pressure is on.
But partnerships must go beyond a simple contractual relationship. The most successful vaccine distributions were those where manufacturers, logistics providers, airlines, and even local handling teams worked together as a single unit.
Capacity remains the weak link
Securing enough space on planes to transport vaccines at the necessary scale and speed was the biggest logistical challenge of the vaccine airlift. Without capacity, even the best supply chain plans would have failed. Passenger aircrafts, which typically handle a large share of global air cargo, were grounded, drastically shrinking freight capacity.
The situation was only eased because demand for other pharmaceuticals temporarily dropped, freeing up space. There is no guarantee that future crises will align in the same way, making rapid, large-scale distribution a continuing concern.
Future geopolitical tensions, airline economics, or sustainability measures could further reduce available freight space, raising questions about how well the industry can respond to future health emergencies.
Packaging supply bottlenecks also pose a challenge. Early on, manufacturers had to shift from single-dose vials to multi-dose formats to work around shortages of glass vials and syringes. This adaptability was critical in keeping distribution moving, but not every crisis will have a clear workaround. If the next emergency requires single-dose formats, will the industry be prepared? The ability to scale up production of packaging materials quickly should be a top priority.
A lack of skilled workers further adds to unpredictability. The logistics industry is still facing shortages of pilots, warehouse staff, and trained handlers. Without the right personnel in place, even the best supply chain plans will fail. The industry must think beyond physical assets and invest in workforce development, ensuring there are trained professionals available when they are needed most.
Being prepared means planning for uncertainty
Many risks facing pharma logistics today, including geopolitical tensions, trade restrictions, and sudden demand spikes, are just as disruptive as a pandemic. While future crises are impossible to predict, manufacturers must move from reactive crisis management to proactive scenario planning. Being caught unprepared is no longer an excuse.
During the pandemic, those who were agile, had access to data-driven insights, and had already built strong supply chain relationships adapted best. Future preparedness should focus on securing logistics capacity through strategic partnerships and pre-agreed contracts that guarantee access when demand spikes, rather than scrambling for space during an emergency.
It should also involve building multi-source supply chain networks that are not dependent on a single provider or region. Investing in real-time monitoring and risk assessment tools will allow manufacturers to track factors like trade lane risks, shipment conditions and peak congestion periods, identifying potential disruptions before they become bottlenecks.
But data must be put to use in a meaningful way. Trade lane risk assessments, predictive analytics, and AI-driven forecasting will be the difference between a supply chain that bends under pressure and one that breaks entirely. Manufacturers need to work closely with logistics partners to integrate data-driven decision-making into their supply chains before they need it.
The next crisis will demand more than just a willingness to adapt. It will demand real-time intelligence, flexible capacity planning and deep collaboration.
The next crisis will demand a more collaborative approach
The next Black Swan event, whether another pandemic, geopolitical crisis, or extreme weather event, will test pharma supply chains again. Success will not be defined by who can manufacture the fastest but by who has the right partnerships in place to move products effectively. And critically, whether those partnerships are strong enough to survive under pressure.
Pharma manufacturers that integrate logistics planning into their long-term strategy, rather than treating it as an afterthought, will be the ones that succeed in the next global crisis. The days of treating logistics as a secondary concern are over. Manufacturers need to take an active role in ensuring their supply chains are resilient, adaptable, and ready for whatever comes next.
For the next global emergency, all stakeholders must have a seat at the table in pharma supply chain planning. Because when the world needs vaccines, treatments, and life-saving medications, there is no room for hesitation. There is only time to act.