Pharmaceutical industry highlights Uruguay as a hub

Under the title "Why a HUB in Uruguay? Advantages and challenges", the sixth and last webinar of the 2021 edition of the Uruguay Best Practices in Pharma Supply Chain event was held. The activity is organized by the Uruguay Pharma Hub group, made up of leading international companies in the pharmaceutical industry with logistics and supply chain operations in Uruguay, together with the public sector represented by the investment, export and country image promotion agency, Uruguay XXI, and the National Logistics Institute.

During six virtual meetings, speakers from the main international pharmaceutical companies and their suppliers participated, as well as leading port logistics managers and local and regional distribution companies. The remote modality made it possible to increase the participation of representatives from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Venezuela, Colombia, Guatemala and Mexico, but also from outside the region, such as the United Kingdom, Austria, Germany, the United States, Spain and Canada, among others.

On this occasion, Mariela Pérez Becerra, Head of Customer Services and Logistics of GSK Laboratory, Ana Carina Delgado, Director of the Supply Chain of Megalabs, and Gabriela Brancato, General Director of Merck, shared the success stories of the companies they represent in Uruguay and why they have chosen the country as the center of their operations in the region.

During the exchange it was emphasized that for the operations of the Pharma sector Uruguay offers good tax regulations, ample land mobility and beneficial hydro-maritime access to its main markets, such as Argentina and Brazil. The speakers agreed that the country has a well-developed infrastructure that is highly competitive with its peers. They highlighted the financial and social stability, the good business environment and the excellent regulatory aspects.

"The availability of qualified and competitive human resources was what made the difference when we chose to settle in Uruguay" said Ana Carina Delgado, Supply Chain Director of Megalabs, an international company present in the country since 2007.

She added that Uruguay has multimodal access and is the gateway to the region from Europe, as well as one of the main markets in South America. He also noted that companies that choose the country benefit from its free trade zone regime, free port and airport.

Gabriela Brancato, Merck's CEO expressed that with the support of Uruguay XXI, Merck contacted international companies already installed in the country that reaffirmed the advantages of operating from Uruguay to the world. "Today, the company manages 40% of its sales in Latin America from its Uruguayan distribution center," she said.

The exhibitors also highlighted other benefits of operating in Uruguay, such as the extensive benefits of being located in one of the free trade zones, the country's good geographical location that allows easy access to all of Latin America and the rest of the world. They also emphasized the qualified human capital and the constant growth and incorporation of collaborators.

Hundreds of attendees, including supply chain managers from the main international and local pharmaceutical companies, suppliers and other industry players met during the year at the various events offered by the Uruguay Best Practices in Pharma Supply Chain. This event, which arose as a joint initiative between the private and public sectors, serves to continue promoting a space for exchange, sharing international trends, experiences and best practices in the sector at the global and regional level.

Uruguay XXI works to promote the internationalization of the Life Sciences sector as a priority area, developing strategies focused on attracting investment, export promotion and innovative aftercare policies.