Seven members of Puerto Rico’s Life Sciences Air Cargo Community have achieved the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Center of Excellence for Independent Validators (CEIV) Pharma certification, following a program to boost the quality of cold chain operations at the life sciences hub.
The Department of Economic Development and Commerce of Puerto Rico (DEDC), which has supported the Community since its launch, secured an 80% subsidy for organizations wishing to participate in the CEIV certification process, facilitated by the research center INDUNIV.
The accredited members are American Airlines, Prime Air Corp, ETH Cargo, Expeditors, César Castillo, Isla Frío Refrigeration and Ground Motive Dependable Airline Services (GMD).
“These accreditations are a monumental step forward in the development of Puerto Rico’s life sciences sector,” said Sebastián Negrón Reichard, DEDC’s Secretary.
“By investing in these certifications and subsidizing participation, we are not only elevating the quality of our cold chain operations, but also empowering smaller organizations through education and collaboration across the Community.”
CEIV accredited companies are encouraged to participate in training initiatives hosted by the Community to educate smaller organizations in Puerto Rico on how to correctly and safely operate within the cool chain.
“The CEIV Pharma Certification process has enabled us to improve our quality and compliance systems, and with other Community members doing the same, pharma handling across the island is continuously improving,” said Tom Vincent, Vice President of Prime Air Corp.
The CEIV Pharma Certification was established by IATA to serve as the industry standard for transporting temperature-controlled, time-sensitive products.
“This initiative has had a direct impact on our competitive position,” said Rodney Colón, President of GMD.
“We have strengthened our operational capabilities and have contributed to cementing Puerto Rico’s place as a leading bioscience hub.”
Now, four additional members – Magic Transport, Drogeria Betances, DSV, The Air Group – have signed letters of commitment to pursue CEIV standard.
“The commitment of these four additional companies represents a significant advancement in our mission to establish Puerto Rico as a global leader in pharmaceutical logistics excellence,” said Ivan Lugo, Executive Director, INDUNIV.
“By implementing the rigorous CEIV Pharma standards across more of our supply chain partners, we’re creating a more robust and reliable cold chain ecosystem that benefits the entire life sciences industry.”
“Each certified entity raises the standard of operations for their partners, creating a network with high standards of handling temperature-controlled, time-sensitive products.”
The CEIV Pharma Certification has become the industry standard for pharmaceutical transportation, ensuring that the integrity of the cold chain is kept, and the first member of the Community to achieve the IATA CEIV Pharma accreditation was logistics provider, ETH Cargo, in March 2024.
