Late last year DHL Supply Chain New Zealand opened its most advanced Life Sciences and Healthcare (LSHC) logistics facility in the country, increasing its total health logistics capacity by 20 percent.
Located on Te Kapua Drive in Auckland, the new 14,100sqm site features advanced automation designed to expedite deliveries across New Zealand, including to remote locations. The facility enables new direct-to-patient and direct-to-pharmacy distribution models, with high levels of safety, quality control and traceability.
The site is part of the global DHL Health Logistics network and is built to meet growing demand across the healthcare sector, including natural medication, biopharma, biotechnology, veterinary products, generic medicines, medical devices and consumer health.
Around 80 staff will be based at Te Kapua, including what DHL says is the country’s largest health logistics Quality Assurance team, alongside specialists in data analysis, mechatronics and robotics.
DHL Supply Chain Asia Pacific CEO Javier Bilbao says the new facility strengthens the company’s long-term healthcare capabilities.
“The Te Kapua site future-proofs our ability to efficiently, safely, and sustainably distribute critical and life-saving pharmaceutical and healthcare products to patients and consumers throughout New Zealand.”
He says the investment supports the company’s broader regional strategy.
“This highly innovative facility supports our Strategy 2030, which aims to better connect and integrate healthcare supply chains through a fully inhouse managed, end-to-end supply chain model.
“This reflects what DHL Health Logistics truly stands for – not just a brand promise, but a fully integrated supply chain service that connects every step along the value chain, in New Zealand, across Asia Pacific, and around the world.”
Bilbao adds that the Te Kapua site is part of a wider regional expansion.
“Alongside Te Kapua, we’ve thus expanded our regional life sciences and healthcare footprint with the opening of new facilities in Singapore, Malaysia, India, and South Korea. These investments reflect our commitment to building resilient, future-ready infrastructure that enables faster, more reliable delivery of life-saving pharmaceuticals and media devices throughout the region.”
Goods-To-Person automation outbound conveyor area.
On-site productivity is driven by Goods-to-Person technology using 41 Geek+ robots – the largest number operated by a New Zealand 3PL provider – along with Very Narrow Aisle (VNA) pallet storage and retrieval systems. The robots reduce manual handling risks by assisting with heavy and repetitive tasks.
The facility includes 12,000 temperature-controlled pallet storage spaces, with environments ranging from 2°C to 8°C and down to -30°C, alongside humidity-controlled storage for sensitive pharmaceuticals. A dedicated 2°C to 8°C antechamber enables preparation and packing of temperature-controlled products, reducing the risk of temperature excursions.
The site also offers dangerous goods storage and a licensed specialist packaging room for secondary repackaging of LSHC products.
DHL Supply Chain New Zealand managing director Matt Casbolt says advanced health logistics are critical to meeting the country’s future healthcare needs.
“Advanced health logistics are critical for improving healthcare outcomes for New Zealand’s growing population and addressing the sophisticated care needs of our aging community.
“At Te Kapua, we are developing highly customised warehousing capacity, and building new skills in robotics and quality assurance, strengthening our ability to support customers throughout New Zealand and the Pacific Islands.”
Geek + RS-11 RoboShuttle.
The five Green Star building uses 100 per cent renewable electricity, LED lighting with smart controls, energy-efficient HVAC systems, cool roofing, rainwater reuse and smart energy metering. DHL’s reusable Cool Green Cellpackaging also reduces transport waste and supports spoil-free delivery of temperature-controlled goods.
The Te Kapua development forms part of DHL Group’s €500 million investment to enhance life sciences and healthcare logistics across Asia Pacific by 2030.
