DHL Group invests nearly $3 billion to expand global health care logistics network

DHL Group is investing €2 billion (CAD$2.94 billion) over the next five years to bolster its life sciences and health care logistics capabilities, with 40 per cent allocated to North America, including Canada.

The investment supports DHL’s “Strategy 2030” and will focus on strengthening high-quality infrastructure and advanced technology to meet growing global demand in pharmaceutical, biopharma and clinical trial logistics.

“Similar to DHL Group’s purpose of ‘Connecting people, improving lives’, our strategic investment in life sciences and 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.

Forty per cent of the funding will go toward North America, with the remainder divided between Latin America (10 per cent), Asia Pacific (25 per cent) and the EMEA region (25 per cent).

DHL plans to expand cold chain capacity, add temperature-controlled vehicles and build new GDP-certified Pharma Hubs to handle multi-temperature shipments. The company will also roll out advanced IT systems to enhance supply chain visibility and compliance.

Under its new sector brand, DHL Health Logistics, the company aims to provide an integrated, end-to-end customer experience, simplifying cross-border supply chain management.

DHL generated more than €5 billion (CAD$7.35 billion) in life sciences and health care revenue in 2024 and projects an additional €5 billion by 2030.

The group also recently acquired CRYOPDP, a specialty courier focused on clinical trials and cell and gene therapies, further strengthening its logistics capabilities in this critical sector.