IoT Container Tracking Pilot Launched
WiseTech Global and shipping line Hapag-Lloyd have launched an IoT container tracking pilot to enhance supply chain visibility. While focused on general shipping, the pilot's principles of continuous tracking and automated alerts are directly applicable to the cell and gene therapy supply chain. The initiative points toward broader adoption of digital chain-of-custody solutions for critical materials.
- This pilot involves Hapag-Lloyd's entire fleet of approximately two million dry containers, which have been equipped with IoT devices to transmit frequent location updates. The data is integrated into WiseTech's CargoWise software platform, a single-platform system for managing complex logistics transactions across multiple functions and countries. - The IoT devices provide real-time GPS location data, and can also measure temperature and monitor for sudden shocks to the container. Hapag-Lloyd's "Live ETA" tool uses this real-time data to create dynamic estimated times of arrival that are reportedly up to 75% more accurate than traditional, schedule-based forecasts. - Hapag-Lloyd previously implemented a similar real-time monitoring solution, "Hapag-Lloyd LIVE," for its refrigerated (reefer) container fleet in 2019. That system provides data on temperature, GPS location, power status, and relative humidity, with specialized options for goods requiring a controlled atmosphere, such as pharmaceuticals. - The pilot aims to process millions of data points daily, using algorithms to convert raw data into actionable milestones, such as detecting route deviations or potential delays. This data is distributed to customers through tools like CargoWise Cargo Tracker and Container Automation. - For cell and gene therapies, this level of tracking provides a digital equivalent of a Chain of Custody (COC), which is the auditable record of who handled a product and when. While this pilot focuses on location and condition, the integration of IoT with technologies like blockchain can create immutable records of environmental conditions, enhancing traceability and security for sensitive biologics. - The continuous data streams from such IoT initiatives are foundational for creating "digital twins" in bioprocess optimization. A bioprocess digital twin is a virtual model of the entire process chain that uses real-time and historical data to predict critical quality attributes and reduce out-of-spec events in GMP manufacturing. - In the context of autologous therapies, where a patient's own cells are the manufacturing starting material, this technology supports maintaining the Chain of Identity (COI). COI is the unequivocal link between the patient's starting material and the final drug product, a critical regulatory requirement where errors can be fatal.
