Uruguay Brings Together Regional Pharmaceutical Industry Leaders at Best Practices in Pharma Supply Chain 2026

Uruguay brought together more than 350 participants from Uruguay and abroad at the seventh edition of Uruguay Best Practices in Pharma Supply Chain, a leading gathering for the pharmaceutical and logistics industries. Organized by the Uruguay Pharma Hub Group, Uruguay XXI, and the National Institute of Logistics (INALOG), the event convened companies, government officials, specialists, and representatives from academia to discuss the main challenges and opportunities facing the pharmaceutical supply chain.

The opening ceremony featured the ministers of Public Health, Cristina Lustemberg; Industry, Energy and Mining, Fernanda Cardona; and Transport and Public Works, Lucía Etcheverry. They were joined by Uruguay XXI Executive Director Mariana Ferreira and Leticia Mantiñán, Supply Chain Coordinator for Uruguay, Paraguay, and Bolivia at Boehringer Ingelheim, representing the Uruguay Pharma Hub Group. The event was declared of National Interest by the Office of the President of Uruguay.

Ferreira highlighted the evolution of an event that has grown alongside the industry. “This event began seven years ago in a room at Uruguay XXI with 30 people, and today it brings together more than 350 attendees. The event has grown alongside the sector,” she noted.

The executive director of Uruguay XXI also emphasized the strategic importance of the pharmaceutical industry and the role of public-private collaboration in supporting its development.

In 2025, exports of pharmaceuticals, veterinary products, and medical devices reached US$406 million, while pharmaceutical transit flows totaled US$969 million. The sector includes more than 200 directly linked companies and generates nearly 8,400 direct jobs, most of them skilled positions. These figures reflect the capabilities Uruguay has developed as a regional platform for pharmaceutical production, distribution, and services.

Minister of Public Health Cristina Lustemberg highlighted Uruguay’s role as a platform for exchange and capacity building. “It is important for Uruguay to serve as a meeting point for discussion and knowledge creation around innovation, the adoption of new technologies, and skilled talent,” she noted.

For her part, Fernanda Cardona identified the pharmaceutical industry as one of the strategic sectors of Uruguay’s industrial policy and linked its development to the country’s positioning as a regional hub. “Uruguay and this government are reaching out to the world to invite companies to come to the country and take advantage of its potential as a regional hub,” she said. Among Uruguay’s strengths, she highlighted its stability, predictability, strong institutions, legal certainty, infrastructure, and talent.

“If there is one industry in Uruguay with significant potential to grow in international markets, it is the pharmaceutical industry,” she said.

The logistics dimension was addressed by Lucía Etcheverry, who highlighted the collaborative framework built among companies, operators, specialized suppliers, and government agencies. “It is an example of a virtuous cycle between the public and private sectors,” she said, noting that this collaboration has helped build expertise, knowledge, and capabilities over time.

Etcheverry also noted that there is room to further integrate Uruguay’s pharmaceutical supply chain into international markets, both within the region and through the opportunities created by the Mercosur–European Union Agreement. She also proposed advancing joint working groups to develop a shared roadmap.

Representing the private sector, Mantiñán highlighted both the event’s growth and its expanding regional reach. “Year after year, it has established itself as a meeting point for the pharmaceutical supply chain in Uruguay, while also becoming a reference point for the region,” she said. In this context, she emphasized the goal of continuing to strengthen Uruguay’s position as a logistics hub for the sector.

Mantiñán also placed patients at the center of supply chain operations. “Behind every indicator, behind every decision, there is a patient—a person waiting to receive their treatment at the right time and with the highest quality. That is the true meaning of what we do,” she said.

An Agenda Focused on the Future of the Pharma Hub

The program featured six panel discussions and three international presentations covering key areas of the pharmaceutical supply chain. Topics included the public-private ecosystem supporting the Uruguay Pharma Hub; opportunities arising from the Mercosur–European Union Agreement; digital transformation and cybersecurity; cold chain; supply chain resilience; the future of the hub; and the talent and skills the industry will need in the years ahead. International presentations were delivered by Claudia Roa of DHL Group, Mónica Moncada of Marken, and Eric ten Kate of CEVA Logistics.

Throughout the day, companies, logistics operators, regulators, public institutions, and representatives from academia discussed how Uruguay can build on its existing capabilities as a regional platform for the pharmaceutical industry and what new conditions will be needed to attract higher-value operations.

Through these exchanges, the seventh edition once again highlighted collaboration among companies, public agencies, regulators, operators, and academia as one of the key strengths of the Uruguay Pharma Hub in responding to the needs of an increasingly integrated, technology-driven, and specialized industry.