THE BENEFITS OF EU MANUFACTURING
As a vertically integrated leader in antibiotic medicines manufacturing in Europe, Fresenius Kabi holds tight control of its supply chain from A to Z. In Europe alone, 15,000 employees work across 39 locations to create value for local economies, communities and families, and to promote a resilient supply chain that provides life-saving medicines to patients worldwide. We believe that a strong European supply chain carries many benefits, including logistical resilience and environmental consideration. Keeping manufacturing within European borders provides proximity to our clients. This in turn allows for rapid and efficient dispatch via our multi-national warehousing network, and ultimately, to the patients who need them. The presence of our own commercial organizations in most of our European locations means we are able to liaise effectively with local authorities and procurement bodies to facilitate allocations.
This uncompromisingly resilient supply chain is part of our commitment to saving lives, but also to supporting job creation and family welfare for regional communities at every level. In our Italian location in Veneto, for instance, Fresenius Kabi’s presence has a meaningful impact on local communities, specifically in groups of a younger demographic who would reap the greatest benefits of increased employment stability. Since acquiring the site in 2008, we have continued to invest in development, manufacturing and automation and as such, grown production almost tenfold in just over a decade, thus creating job opportunities in the process.
This resilience has also been especially meaningful in protecting our patients and employees in challenging contexts – most recently the COVID-19 pandemic – and today, we are further committed to detecting and preventing a crisis before it happens, in addition to strengthening our ability to respond to one as it arises. We believe regional manufacturing for certain critical medicines may limit reliance on external markets, thus supporting a continuous provision of life-saving drugs needed to maintain a consistent and high quality of care, regardless of healthcare system stage or geo-political context per country.
In addition to supply chain and employment advantages, the benefits of European manufacturing also extend to our environmental objectives, by promoting more sustainable production processes, too. Advocating for a shorter supply chain, as well as the vicinity to our end clients, keeps transport to its required minimum, our contribution to more environmentally friendly practices. We also continually work to develop and implement environmental risk-management strategies for our owned sites, ensuring that we are working towards our goal to achieve carbon neutrality by 2040 and to cut CO2 emissions in half by 2030. Indeed, in benefiting our local and cross-border communities and working to protect our planet, we are committing to further strengthening our ability to provide life-saving medicines to those who need it.