UPS has confirmed that it is to launch a dedicated global healthcare facility in Dublin next year, as logistics occupiers continue to expand in Ireland.

The high-tech, 64.5K SF facility from UPS Healthcare will help connect Ireland's pharmaceutical industry with the UPS global logistics network when it opens in late 2023 at a time when temperature-controlled facilities are in short supply.

The company described the new facility as a “fully integrated end-to-end, compliant logistics centre”, Global Cold Chain News said.

"This is a significant investment by UPS in Ireland and a demonstration of our commitment to enabling truly global healthcare supply chains," UPS Healthcare Vice President for International Sales Cathy O’Brien said. "UPS Healthcare is now offering the first truly dedicated freight, small parcel and logistics offering in Ireland, including cold chain management services."

According to UPS Healthcare, by the time its Dublin site launches the company will have doubled its logistics space from 2020 and the new facility will be situated less than 10 minutes away from Dublin Airport and close to Dublin Port.

Nine out of 10 of the world's largest pharmaceutical companies — including Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson and GlaxoSmithKline — have a presence in Ireland and UPS said that the new centre will help protect Ireland's pharma industry from supply chain disruption and significantly increase the capacity for cold storage and temperature-controlled shipments.

In late July, logistics giant Kuehne+Nagel Ireland also opened a temperature-controlled facility near Dublin Airport and Dublin Port and, along with three existing healthcare warehouses, it expanded Kuehne+Nagel’s healthcare footprint in Ireland to more than 430K SF.

As demand for specialist facilities continues to grow, UPS also recently completed the acquisition of Italy-based Bomi Group, which has temperature-controlled facilities across 14 countries in Europe and Latin America.