In an exclusive conversation with BioSpectrum Asia & MedTech Spectrum, Christopher Ong, Managing Director of DHL Express Singapore, shares how DHL’s latest investments — including a new €10 million pharmaceutical hub — are strengthening Singapore’s position as a strategic life sciences and healthcare logistics hub for the Asia Pacific region
How is DHL contributing to Singapore’s role as a strategic hub for the life sciences and healthcare industry in the Asia Pacific region?
At DHL, we align closely with Singapore's strategic vision to position itself as a leading global hub for life sciences and healthcare (LSHC). Singapore’s robust infrastructure, strong regulatory framework, and prime geographic location has become an attractive spot for multi-nationals and upcoming researchers to establish their presence in Singapore, especially in dedicated estates such as Tuas Biomedical Park and Biopolis. As Singapore’s biomedical sector continues to thrive, manufacturing products valued at nearly S$38 billion (estimated €25.4 billion) for global markets (JTC, 2025), DHL is committed to supporting this growth by providing tailored logistics solutions that meet the evolving needs of the life sciences and healthcare sector.
To do this, we recently launched our €10 million pharmaceutical hub in Singapore to enhance our capabilities and drive innovation in this space. At 8,200 square meters, the new pharma hub brings our total warehouse space in Singapore for dedicated LSHC operations to over 36,000 square meters. This is a major step for us in offering a full, comprehensive suite of solutions for the LSHC industry in cold-chain warehousing, pharmaceutical finished goods, and clinical trials.
The DHL Express global network also connects more than 220 countries and territories globally, with 3 global hubs, 19 regional hubs, and close to 300 aircrafts. In 2024, we upgraded our South Asia Hub (SAH) located by Singapore Changi Airport, further enhancing our global connectivity and boosting our operational capacity on the ground. SAH was established in 2016 to serve as a key logistics hub connecting Singapore to the rest of the world. Today, the hub is also home to five DHL-owned Boeing 777 freighters that optimise transit times between the Americas and Asia. We are equally well-equipped to serve Europe. Our Europe to Asia connection, operated by cargo airline AeroLogic since 2009, remains strong. A joint venture between DHL Express and Lufthansa Cargo, our AeroLogic network mainly serves routes between Europe and Asian destinations from Monday to Fridays, strengthening our service offerings to customers.
Our strong global aviation and ground network and ongoing investments are critical in building our life sciences and healthcare infrastructure and logistics capabilities to support Singapore’s role as a leading global life sciences and healthcare hub.
What does DHL's recent investment in a new pharmaceutical hub in Singapore entail?
Our new pharmaceutical hub in Singapore marks a significant enhancement of DHL’s healthcare logistics capabilities. The hub features specialized temperature-controlled zones, including ambient (15°C to 25°C) and cold room (2°C to 8°C) that ensures precise storage conditions for sensitive healthcare products. It is also Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) compliant and features advanced cold chain infrastructure like airtight loading docks and dedicated anterooms. This is critical in ensuring uninterrupted temperature stability throughout the logistics process.
Located near the Tuas Bio-Medical Park, DHL’s new pharma hub also offers seamless connectivity to Changi Airport and Tuas Mega Port, enabling efficient regional and global distribution for our pharmaceutical partners.
Our vision does not stop here. We are already looking at introducing pharma-related value-added services such redressing activities within this facility. Regional partners can expect more development in the Asia Pacific, especially with DHL’s commitment to invest €500 million into healthcare logistics in Asia Pacific by 2030 to meet the increasing demands and complexities of the market.
How DHL addressing the needs of medical device companies operating in Singapore?
We are focused on deploying specialized logistics solutions tailored for the medical device sector. The export landscape for medical devices is complex and navigating it requires a comprehensive understanding of local regulations to ensure compliance and market access. Our shipping solution, DHL Worldwide Medical Express, or WMX caters specifically to this sector. This solution is designed to help companies navigate the complexities of shipping life-saving medical components internationally and is particularly beneficial for urgent deliveries of time and temperature-sensitive shipments.
Other offerings in the pipeline include dedicated warehousing options for seamless transits, customised transportation options for timely deliveries, advanced tracking systems that provide real-time visibility throughout the logistics process and meet UN 3373 and IATA Dangerous Goods standards.
In addition, we have DHL Certified Life Science Healthcare Specialists that are always ready to help our customers maintain adherence to the regulatory framework governing medical devices by providing guidance to navigate product classifications and compliance requirements across countries. Customers can also opt for shipment insurance that protect their shipments in transit too.
The number of clinical trials in Singapore has been relatively steady the past decade. How can DHL provide value to this segment?
We understand the multi-faceted logistical challenges surrounding clinical trials and take great care in offering comprehensive logistics services tailored for these trials to facilitate a smoother clinical trial workflow and value-add to the drug development process. In Singapore, this is done through temperature-controlled transportation and customized supply chain solutions that guarantee the timely delivery of clinical trial materials, be it investigational drugs, investigational medicinal products, or biological samples. Our services include real-time tracking and monitoring to ensure that all shipments are handled with the utmost care and precision.
WMX shipments receive top priority within our DHL network, with pickups by our couriers as late as possible in the day and deliveries at the earliest available service. Within Asia Pacific, our WMX solution prioritises temperature-controlled, time-critical shipments from over 20,000 clinical sites. Customers can also leverage DHL’s robust and extensive network across the Asia Pacific region to deliver their shipments from main metropolitan cities into Singapore within the next working day. A Saturday delivery option is also available upon request.
Can you elaborate on DHL’s cold chain facilities in Singapore and their importance for temperature-sensitive shipments?
Our cold chain facilities, including the newly opened pharmaceutical hub, are vital for maintaining the integrity of temperature-sensitive medical shipments. Equipped with cutting-edge monitoring technologies, these facilities ensure optimal temperature control throughout the handling process during shipping. By using our WMX service, customers can choose from ambient (room temperature), controlled-ambient (15°C to 25°C), refrigerated (2°C to 8°C), frozen with dry ice (-80°C), frozen (-15°C to -25°C), and ultra-deep frozen (below -180°C) options when shipping their active pharmaceutical ingredients. Contingency activation services like dry ice replenishment and access to refrigerated facilities are also available.
Just this year, our expertise in cold chain management was further strengthened by DHL’s acquisition of Cryoport’s CRYOPDP. CRYOPDP specializes in providing white-glove courier services. This strategic partnership with Cryoport integrates DHL's global health logistics capabilities with Cryoport's industry-leading expertise, giving us an edge in the provision of specialised solutions in a fast-growing life sciences and healthcare market segment.
Besides ensuring optimal temperature control, time is of essence when transporting temperature-sensitive shipments. Coupled with priority pickup and delivery services, our in-house customs team is experienced in clearing priority shipments to maximise efficacy for our customers.
How does DHL balance high-compliance healthcare logistics with its decarbonisation targets in Singapore?
As the healthcare sector in Singapore increasingly prioritises sustainability (Healthcare Asia, 2024), we recognize our role in supporting these efforts. Our investments are aimed at creating a more sustainable supply chain that not only meets international compliance standards but also addresses the environmental impact of healthcare logistics.
At DHL, we started our sustainability journey in 2009 to drive carbon efficiency, and in 2017, we were the first company in the transport and logistics sector to set a 2050 net-zero greenhouse gas emissions target. Last year, we strengthened our commitment by introducing a 4th bottom line to our new DHL Group Strategy 2030 - Green Logistics of Choice (on top of Employer of Choice, Provider of Choice, Investment of Choice).
We have been using Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) as a lever in our emission reduction targets for air transportation since 2021. Most recently in July 2025, we signed a deal with Neste to supply 9.5 million litres of SAF from Singapore Changi Airport, one of the largest deals by volume in the air cargo sector in Asia. DHL customers can also opt in for GoGreen Plus and choose a desired proportion of SAF to be used in their international shipments through a “book and claim” system that targets their Scope 3 emissions through carbon insetting.
We have also been converting our ground fleet to electric vehicles (EVs) for last mile pickup and deliveries since 2022. Today, at the Express team, we are the proud operator of over 100 EVs, the largest fleet of commercial EV vans in Singapore.
As the managing director of DHL Express Singapore, what do you think sets DHL apart from other service providers?
I strongly believe that our people bring about growth and quality. Each DHL Express employee goes through a Certified Internal Specialists (CIS) programme that imparts values, and technical and soft skills. It is not by chance that we have been certified by global people analytics and consulting firm Great Place to Work® Institute as the Number 1 Great Place to Work in Singapore for 5 consecutive years, since 2020.
The culture of building a great workplace for all motivates employee to bring about great service quality for customers which eventually lead to customer loyalty, ultimately driving profitability that allows us to reinvest into our business to strengthen our infrastructure and capabilities.
With regards to our life sciences and healthcare segment, we build a culture around what is inside the box – a crucial shipment that can help save lives. This culture permeates throughout our entire logistical chain, where everyone works towards the same vision – to ensure that your time and temperature-sensitive shipments gets delivered to its destination on time.
Finally, how does DHL ensure pandemic resilience in its logistics operations?
The agility to respond to a global pandemic is not built overnight. Over time, DHL has established a robust framework to bolster resilience within our network and operations. In 2020, our capabilities were put to the test during the COVID-19 pandemic when we had to ensure the effective distribution of vaccines efficiently. Despite the lockdown, we did not close for a single day during the pandemic, and we were able to deliver the first batch of COVID-19 vaccines (and eventually over 11 million doses) successfully to Singapore, showcasing our ability to navigate even the most complex logistics challenges flexibly and reliably. As a group, DHL delivered over 2 billion COVID-19 vaccine doses to over 160 countries in total.
COVID-19 will not be the last global pandemic. Our extensive global transportation networks and substantial local presence, coupled with our rapidly growing cold chain capabilities and scalable supply chain - and a proven track record in crisis response shows we are prepared for future health events and can be trusted to handle the logistical needs of the healthcare industry.
Transportation is a critical part of any health crisis, and we, at DHL, are in the business of supporting the healthcare system through the work we do, which is reflected in our mission – Excellence. Simply Delivered.
About Christopher Ong
Christopher Ong is currently the Managing Director of DHL Express Singapore, a position he has held since November 2018. Responsible for driving sustainable growth in this key market, Chris has been focused on delivering great service quality to loyal customers through a highly motivated workforce. In 2020 & 2021, DHL Express Singapore was also named as the #1 Singapore Best Workplace by the Great Place to Work Institute. This was a climb up from #6 in 2018 to the top position in a span of two years.
Chris has been spearheading strategies that led to improved delivery experiences for both merchants and buyers, increasing customer loyalty as well as targeting SMEs. He is a member of the Future Economic Council, Advanced Manufacturing and Trade Subcommittee and has been invited to share his views on a wide range of SME, eCommerce and business topics.
Prior to joining DHL, Chris worked for 10 years at Temasek Holdings, where he was involved in transactions in the Transport, Logistics, Telecom, Media, Technology, and Manufacturing sectors. Chris graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Tufts University, US.
References:
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