Healthcare Cold Chain Monitoring Market

Market Overview

The global healthcare cold chain monitoring market size was valued at USD 2,880.20 million in 2022. It is projected to reach USD 8,280.52 million by 2031, growing at a CAGR of 12.45% during the forecast period (2023-2031).

Cold chain monitoring refers to using Internet of Things (IoT) technology to continually monitor temperature-sensitive goods being transported in a "cold chain"—a supply chain of perishable and temperature-sensitive goods such as pharmaceuticals, biologics, food, and drinks. If these products are not adequately monitored, unfavorable conditions during shipment and storage could degrade their quality. The health and safety of people and a company's reputation, customer base, and financial health may all be in danger.

The rising demand for temperature-sensitive drugs like vaccines and products that require specific temperature ranges for chemical stability is the primary factor driving the expansion of the healthcare cold chain monitoring market. The expansion of the pharmaceutical industry, an increase in refrigerated warehouses, and a greater emphasis on quality and product sensitivity are all factors that should help the cold chain tracking and monitoring market expand. The healthcare cold chain monitoring market is anticipated to grow due to factors such as the development of the organized retail sector and the modification of government policies and regulations. The cold chain monitoring market is also being driven by the increasing need for cold storage warehouses and the consumption of pre-packaged foods.

Highlights

• The hardware segment is the major contributor to the market by components.
• The vaccines segment is the major contributor to the market by product.
• The chilled segment is the major contributor to the market by temperature type.
• North America is a significant revenue contributor by region.

Market Dynamics

Global Healthcare Cold Chain Monitoring Market Drivers:

Growing Use of IoT Technology in the Healthcare Sector

A network of tangible objects linked to the internet is known as the Internet of Things (IoT). These tangible objects have technology that enables them to communicate with internal and external forces. IoT is employed in various industries, including retail, transportation, agriculture, smart homes, smart cities, lifestyle, supply chains, emergency services, healthcare, the environment, and energy. IoT in healthcare has increased significantly over the past few years and is predicted to do so in the future. IoT has many advantages for the healthcare industry, including tracking items, people, and patients, identifying and authenticating people, autonomous data collection, and sensing.

By offering these advantages, IoT in healthcare is a crucial choice for controlling the expenses associated with various healthcare systems. IoT enables stakeholders, particularly providers, and patients, to manage diseases, save costs, reduce errors, and improve patient care and results. IoT solutions and services are displacing conventional diagnostic and therapeutic methods. Patients, hospitals, healthcare workers, clinics, and others are IoT users in the healthcare industry. Governmental organizations, academic institutions, and diagnostic facilities integrate IoT into healthcare technology to provide affordable and creative products and solutions.

Global Healthcare Cold Chain Monitoring Market Restraint:

Maintaining Temperature Consistency

Cold chain logistics services help the pharmaceutical and healthcare sectors maintain a consistent supply of drugs from suppliers and distributors in various (sometimes global) locations. The cold pharmaceutical chain is a crucial component of the healthcare supply chain. The healthcare sector benefits from cold chain logistics because pharmaceuticals are consistently available from suppliers and distributors worldwide. As manufactured drugs have evolved to contain more high-value active components with a shorter shelf life and stringent temperature requirements, the need for temperature control and monitoring across the supply chain has grown.

To prevent the increases that might happen when pharmaceuticals are transported at ambient temperatures, even those safe at room temperature may need to be handled carefully. Maintaining a temperature range of 2°C to 8°C throughout the delivery cycle, the most typical range for the pharmaceutical industry, is the most challenging component of cold chain delivery. The type and quantity of cooling agents used, as well as the size and thickness of the package, all affect how long a product's temperature is considered to be regulated. Traditional techniques for storing frozen, water-based gel packs inside insulated containers might be ineffective since temperatures inside the container may change (potentially leading to product degradation). Many gel packs increase storage, labor, and shipping costs.

Global Healthcare Cold Chain Monitoring Market Opportunities:

Rise in Warehouse Automation Requirements for Cold Chain Storage

Today, the demand for cold chain products is expanding quickly globally. Strong collaborations and prompt action are essential for effective cold chain management as the demand for perishable commodities increases globally. Developing nations are a contributing factor to some of this expansion. Despite the economic downturn, life quality is improving worldwide. Vegetables, fruits, and protein-based foods are more popular among consumers with more money, raising their global demand for these goods. One of the most challenging areas in the business is the cold chain, where manual and mechanical processes must be developed and maintained side by side.

Biopharmaceuticals have become a part of the cold supply chain in addition to food and drink. There are two types of automation techniques: mobile racking and automated storage and retrieval systems. By lowering energy use and subsequently raising productivity, these solutions help businesses. Organizations profit from warehouse automation by obtaining control over various factors, including energy costs, downtime, safety, inventory levels, order accuracy, and many more. Operators of cold storage warehouses are increasingly looking for automation to save costs as electricity, land, and labor grow.

Regional Analysis

North America Dominates the Global Market

The global healthcare cold chain monitoring industry is divided into four regions: North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and LAMEA. 

North America is a significant revenue contributor and is expected to exhibit a CAGR of 13.20% during the forecast period. The healthcare cold chain monitoring market's largest source of revenue comes from North America. This can be ascribed to the rising emphasis on business agility among regional enterprises and the growing requirement for specialized storage and transportation to ensure the efficacy of healthcare items. The reason for the technology's excellent penetration in North America is that it has become a global technical standard. Due to its standing as an economically developed nation and the strong demand from various end users, including biopharmaceutical firms, hospitals and clinics, and research institutes, the US is dominating the healthcare cold chain monitoring market in this area.

Europe is expected to exhibit a CAGR of 11.40% during the forecast period. In 2020, the European economy experienced a significant yearly growth rate. The UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Russia, the Netherlands, Finland, Belgium, Poland, and the Rest of Europe comprise the sub-segments of the European market. Due to the midsize healthcare industry's adoption of cold chain monitoring solutions, the need for cold chain monitoring in the healthcare sector in Europe is anticipated to expand. Additionally, to satisfy the expanding industry demands, businesses are increasingly concentrating on finding ways to cut the cost of pharmaceutical logistics across worldwide resources.

With Asia-Pacific serving as the world's most extensive production base for various healthcare items, the market for cold chain monitoring has enormous potential for expansion. Due to advancements in healthcare infrastructure, the region has immense potential for adopting technologies for complex chain monitoring. China, Japan, India, and the Rest of Asia-Pacific are the countries into which the area has been divided. China is anticipated to lead with the greatest CAGR during the forecast period.

Segmental Analysis

The global healthcare cold chain monitoring industry is segmented by component, product, temperature, and end-user.

Based on components, the global healthcare cold chain monitoring market is bifurcated into hardware and software.

The hardware segment is the major contributor to the market and is estimated to exhibit a CAGR of 12.20% during the forecast period. Sensors, data loggers, real-time monitoring tools, RFID tools, resistance temperature detectors, and other hardware elements comprise healthcare cold chain monitoring. In addition to real-time monitoring, these devices aid in inventory level optimization, preserving the quality of commodities sensitive to temperatures, such as medicines and vaccines. When it directly affects human health, monitoring unstable environmental conditions is essential. However, a drug created, transported, or stored in an environment that is not right for it won't act or provide the promised health benefits. Data logging ensures effective cold chain monitoring of temperature-sensitive commodities at rest or even in transit, making complex chain supply management simpler than traditional approaches.

With the aid of cloud-native solutions, the cloud-based methodology is used to distribute the software application across computing platforms, such as desktops, laptops, or other handheld devices, for unhindered monitoring of cold chain applications, including temperature-sensitive areas such as vaccines and medications. Faster software application uptake and implementation are made possible by cloud deployment. With cutting-edge technology, such as cloud-based solutions, cold chain logistics, and supply chains, organizations are moving toward designing and constructing contemporary, adaptable, and end-to-end operations that respond to complex and changing business requirements.

Based on product, the global healthcare cold chain monitoring market is bifurcated into vaccines, biopharmaceuticals, clinical trial materials, and others.

The vaccines segment is the major contributor to the market and is estimated to exhibit a CAGR of 12.20% during the forecast period. Vaccines are biological products, so they risk losing their effectiveness if exposed to extreme heat or cold. Additionally, the sensitivity of certain vaccines to heat or freezing varies, making it more crucial for vaccine producers, supply chain providers, logistics, and other intermediary handlers to keep an eye on the temperature. The data acquired make prompt decisions to avoid vaccine wastage and possible financial losses. Therefore, cold chain monitoring systems are essential from the point of dispatch to the end of usage.

Biopharmaceuticals are complicated medications from living creatures or cells using cutting-edge biotechnological techniques. The need for cold chain monitoring to control and sustain efficacy and quality assurance has increased due to the rising dependence on innovative therapies and medications derived from these living cells and organisms. However, maintaining constant temperatures is only sometimes straightforward, particularly for biopharmaceutical goods with a shorter shelf life and requiring dependable and quick handling. Due to the variations in environmental circumstances, manufacturers and distributors adhere to various standards in various parts of the world.

The seamless distribution of these items becomes more critical since clinical trial materials (CTM), also known as investigational medical products (ITM), are essential to the drug discovery process. The transportation of pharmaceuticals, chemicals, and living samples depends on trustworthy cold chains that maintain ambient environmental conditions. Products like insulin, those made from blood or plasma, and others are classified as high-risk because they lose their effectiveness when frozen or heated to high temperatures. For instance, Chloramphenicol Eye Drops are typically labeled as requiring storage between 2 and 8 degrees Celsius; brief variations from this range may result in medication loss and other losses.

The global healthcare cold chain monitoring industry is bifurcated based on temperature into chilled and frozen.

The chilled segment is the major contributor to the market and is estimated to exhibit a CAGR of 12.60% during the forecast period. The effectiveness of several medications and biologics must be maintained at specific temperatures, typically between -25° and -10°C (-13° and 14°F), or "frozen." This primarily refers to needles, antibiotics, and eye and ear drops. The cold chain providers ensure shipments arrive at the proper temperature. They do this by using gel packs, dry ice products, and customized containers that enable them to keep the proper temperatures. They can also prevent things from being produced by monitoring products that include hardware and software.

The term "refrigerated" or "chilled" refers to any temperature that is below 8°C. Providers of cold chain monitoring make it possible to monitor the conditions of the refrigeration systems, particularly for vaccines, blood samples, medications, and other medical supplies, to maintain the temperature throughout the distribution and storage channels.

Based on end-user, the global healthcare cold chain monitoring market is bifurcated into biopharmaceutical companies, hospitals and clinics, and others.

The biopharmaceutical companies segment is the major contributor to the market and is estimated to exhibit a CAGR of 13.50% during the forecast period. Complex pharmaceutical products are created by biopharmaceutical businesses using living creatures and cells that have undergone advanced biotechnological techniques. The requirement for cold chain monitoring to regulate and maintain efficacy and quality has gradually increased due to the rising demand for new therapies and medications derived from these living cells and organisms. 

Hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare facilities meet the public's healthcare needs due to various ailments. As a result, healthcare facilities like hospitals and clinics that treat patients' diseases directly need to keep many pharmaceutical items on hand to utilize as needed. This enables them to deliver speedy and smooth healthcare services. As a result, these firms rely on suppliers and logistics to meet their demands with prompt and secure delivery procedures while abiding by all storage requirements to save expensive goods if they stray from predetermined ranges. Logistics providers can only offer services like the storage or shipping of vaccines or other biological items that run the danger of going bad outside of a manufacturer's authorized temperature or humidity range with refrigerated equipment.

The process of finding new drugs and developing them entails substantial study. Much pharmaceutical research is required, including obtaining patient requirements regarding their disease, assessing and comprehending those requirements, setting research priorities, etc. When a new drug is found, experiments are conducted on living things to determine its efficacy and drawbacks. After these drawbacks are resolved, the drug is sent for clinical trials. Clinical research organizations (or CROs), university labs, scientific organizations, and other research institutes use specific pathogen-free animals in the study. As a result, they depend on cold chain monitoring for the transit and storage of such items.

Recent Developments

• March 2023- Advantus Health Partners, a healthcare solutions company delivering more effective, efficient supply chain models to healthcare organizations, and GE HealthCare, one of the largest providers of medical equipment maintenance services in the world, announced an agreement of up to USD 760 million over 10-years to provide GE HealthCare’s Healthcare Technology Management (HTM) services to Advantus Health Partners’ clients.