Frontier Scientific Solutions Plans a Global Free Trade Zone Gateway to Supply Life Sciences Industry on Back of $1.5 Billion Investment

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Editor's note: this story was originally published on BioPharmInternational.com.

Frontier Scientific Solutions, a temperature-controlled storage and transportation company that exclusively serves the life sciences industry, announced on Nov. 13, 2024 that it has established state-of-the-art current good manufacturing practice (CGMP) facilities at Wilmington International Airport (ILM) in North Carolina, United States, and Shannon Airport (SNN) in County Clare, Ireland. The strategic locations will enable the company to create the first life sciences-dedicated direct global gateway, according to a company press release. Supported by a $1.5 billion commitment from an investor, the gateway is central to Frontier Scientific Solutions’ goal to create streamlined shipping lanes—starting with a route between North America and Europe—specifically for time- and temperature-sensitive pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical products.

These facilities are supported by the $1.5 billion funding from GID, a real estate investor, owner, operator, and developer. Frontier Scientific Solutions expects that the facilities in both locations will bring further financial and supply chain management benefits through designation as Free Trade Zones (FTZ). The company unveiled plans at ILM for the scale and impact of its global gateway model. The company expects that this model will enable companies in the life sciences industry to transport time- and temperature-sensitive materials in significantly shorter timeframes. Benefits include fewer touchpoints, less risk, and more sustainable operations.

"We are thrilled to announce this transformative partnership with the airports at Wilmington and Shannon, enabled by GID's investment,” said Steve Uebele, CEO of Frontier Scientific Solutions, in the company press release. “Our initiative disrupts the life science supply chain market—promoting zero product losses, increasing sustainability, and directly saving lives—and it marks the first step in Frontier's goal to become the market-leading solutions provider."

The funding will be used for the construction of CGMP-compliant, temperature-controlled storage facilities housed at Shannon and within the FTZ at Wilmington. Having FTZ designation will facilitate streamlined customs and FDA processing, duty deferral, and operational efficiencies, all of which are critical for the efficient and secure distribution of life sciences products across international borders, the company stated in the release.

"GID’s commitment underscores our dedication to developing cutting-edge infrastructure that meets the specialized needs of the life sciences industry,” said Greg Bates, president and CEO of GID, in the release. “The new facilities in Wilmington and Shannon will create an unparalleled logistics network between the US and Europe, empowering companies to deliver critical healthcare products with unmatched speed and precision."

Based on live case studies conducted by Frontier Scientific Solutions, it was consistently demonstrated that a reduction of days to weeks in the transportation and waiting times for temperature-sensitive shipments were achieved with its gateway model. “Providing the industry with direct distribution makes this global gateway model faster, reducing exposure to temperature excursions, risk from unnecessary touchpoints, and carbon emissions. It will set a new benchmark for quality, speed, and environmental responsibility,” the company stated in the press release.

The facilities at ILM and SNN will be linked by a direct lane dedicated exclusively to life sciences materials. Flight operations are slated to begin early in 2025. Frontier Scientific Solutions also offers a fast direct-ocean lane from North Carolina to Cork, Ireland, and can achieve delivery in 12 days via this route. This new infrastructure will allow the company to disrupt the market by enabling faster deliveries while reducing reduced risk.

In addition to supply chain logistics, the biopharma industry is seeking ways to minimize risks in providing temperature-sensitive molecules to patients, such as innovating product formulation and drug delivery systems (1).

Reference

1. Mirasol, F. Prioritizing Formulation Strategies for Temperature-Sensitive Biotherapeutics. Pharmaceutical Technology Trends in Formulation eBook, September 2024.

Source:Frontier Scientific Solutions