Transforming Clinical Trial Logistics with Advanced Automation

The HaiPick System 1 solution included four HaiPick A42T ACRs (two robots serving the ambient zone and two serving the cold zone). (Image: Zuellig Pharma)

Zuellig Pharma is an integrated healthcare solutions company, operating across 18 markets serving more than 200,000 medical facilities. In South Korea, they play a critical role in supporting clinical trial logistics in one of the world’s fastest-growing clinical research markets.

As clinical trials expand in scale, complexity, and geographic reach, the company faced increasing pressure to manage higher volumes of clinical materials with absolute precision, full traceability, and strict GxP compliance across multiple temperature environments.

Traditional warehouse operations could no longer fully support these demands, particularly when it came to space efficiency, inventory accuracy, and the reliable handling of temperature-sensitive and high-value trial materials.

To address these challenges and future-proof its clinical trial supply chain, Zuellig Pharma partnered with Hai Robotics to introduce intelligent automation at its new Clinical Trial Support (CTS) Innovation Center.

By integrating HaiPick System 1, Zuellig Pharma aimed to enhance storage density, improve operational efficiency, and ensure faster, more reliable delivery of clinical trial materials, while supporting sustainable operations and long-term growth.

As clinical trials are becoming increasingly complex, global, and data-driven, Zuellig Pharma faced mounting operational challenges that traditional warehouse models could no longer address:

• Growing efficiency demands driven by rising volumes and greater diversity of clinical materials, requiring faster processing without compromising control or quality

• Multi-temperature operations across ambient, cold, frozen, and ultra-low environments, especially critical for fragile and temperature-sensitive therapies

• High expectations for accuracy and traceability, with every clinical item requiring precise handling, real-time visibility, and full end-to-end tracking

• Stringent GxP compliance requirements, demanding consistently reliable operations and audit-ready processes across all workflows

• Space and energy efficiency constraints, particularly acute in temperature-controlled zones where inefficient layouts increase both costs and risks

• Limited flexibility to adapt to fluctuating trial demands, changing product profiles, and evolving storage requirements

• Sustainability goals, including reducing waste, spoilage, and excess packaging.

To address these challenges, Zuellig Pharma implemented Hai Robotics’ HaiPick System 1 at its CTS Innovation Center to support end-to-end clinical trial logistics across both ambient and cold environments. The solution was designed to enhance operational efficiency, accuracy, and flexibility while meeting strict GxP requirements across multi-temperature operations.

The deployment included a facility area of 3,800 m2, shelving height of 7,350 mm, enabling high-density vertical storage, four HaiPick A42T ACRs (two robots serving the ambient zone and two serving the cold zone), two inbound workstations and two outbound workstations, as well as 6,500 storage locations across ambient and cold zones.

The deployment included a facility area of 3,800 m2, shelving height of 7,350 mm, enabling high-density vertical storage. (Image: Zuellig Pharma)

With HaiPick System 1 in place, Zuellig Pharma Korea has significantly elevated the performance of its clinical trial logistics operations. One of the key benefits is higher operational efficiency to support growing demand. Automated storage and retrieval streamlined inbound and outbound workflows, allowing Zuellig Pharma to manage increasing volumes of clinical materials with faster turnaround times and consistent performance.

The system also enabled reliable multi-temperature handling across critical zones and improved accuracy and full traceability under strict GxP requirements. Seamless operations in both ambient and cold environments ensured that temperature-sensitive and high-value clinical materials were stored and fulfilled with the required stability, care, and control. Real-time inventory visibility and precise itemlevel tracking reduced errors, minimized expired materials and unnecessary returns, and ensured audit-ready processes at all times.

It also provided greater flexibility to support complex and evolving clinical trials. The scalable system accommodates fluctuating trial volumes and diverse product profiles, with a flexible architecture that allows capacity and throughput to expand in line with Zuellig Pharma’s future growth needs.

Through this implementation, Zuellig Pharma established a scalable and highly controlled logistics environment capable of efficiently handling diverse clinical materials with precision, speed, and reliability.

“With the launch of our CTS Innovation Center and the integration of intelligent automation, we are strengthening our ability to support both domestic and global clinical studies. This solution enables us to manage clinical trial materials with greater accuracy and efficiency, while ensuring they are delivered to patients faster and more reliably,” said a representative from Zuellig Pharma Korea.

This article was contributed by Hai Robotics (Shenzhen, China). For more information, visit here  .