Cool Chain Association Welcomes Two New Members and Kicks Off its Technical Committee Program with a Risk Management Project

Luxembourg, Wednesday Feb. 9, 2022: The Cool Chain Association (CCA) has continued to grow its membership with the addition of LOT Polish Airlines and Tower Cold Chain.

The Association, whose members collaborate towards improving quality in the temperature-sensitive supply chain, has also announced the formation of a new committee looking into risk management as part of its Technical Committee program.

LOT is the sixth airline to join CCA’s growing membership.

“By joining the CCA and taking part in the Risk Management Committee, we hope to create common global standards and work towards a safe environment for handling pharmaceutical and healthcare products across the temperature-controlled supply chain,” said Kamil Rarak, special cargo product development and training manager, LOT Polish Airlines.

“We were awarded the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Center of Excellence for Independent Validators in Pharmaceutical Logistics (CEIV Pharma) Certificate in 2020 and we are focused on supporting our global business partners in the field of healthcare products.”

Tower Cold Chain, supplies specialist temperature-controlled containers.

“We are delighted to join the CCA and look forward to collaborating to ensure pharmaceuticals are handled and transported by means of robust, reliable, reusable solutions,” said Nick Gilmore, global head of sales and marketing, Tower Cold Chain.

“Through working together, Tower can better assist the temperature-sensitive supply chain to reduce excursions and waste and improve sustainability, to benefit the pharmaceutical community.”

The CCA’s Risk Management Committee, which held its first full meeting last week, is sponsored by CCA Board member Eric Mauroux, president of Freshbizdev, and includes shipper, airline, and forwarder members, led by Stefan Braun, managing director of SmartCAE.

“The group will focus on developing digital risk management strategies in order to move towards more efficient and smarter pharma and perishable supply chains,” said Mauroux.

“We will identify case studies to help us adapt solutions, which are cost-effective and sustainable, as key drivers to reducing the risk of waste.”

Committee members include: Rogier Rook, Logistics Director, Nature’s Pride; Kamil Rarak, Special Cargo Product Development and Training Manager, LOT Polish Airlines; and, Xavier Ripoll, Sales and Marketing Director, Able Freight, with a pharmaceutical company due to join later this week.

The Risk Management Committee is part of CCA’s newly-launched Technical Committee program, which aims is to assist, analyze, study, and manage critical points affecting product quality along the cool chain, as well as developing standards, and initiating projects.

CCA members who are not Board members can volunteer to become Project Coordinators, responsible for the facilitation of initiatives and the proposal of final solutions to the Board.

CCA Board members sponsor the projects.

The CCA holds two events a year, one for pharmaceuticals and one for perishables. The pharmaceuticals event for this year has been confirmed and will take place in Athens.