"Uruguay is the gateway to Latin America"

In recent years, Uruguay has established itself as a strategic hub for high-value-added regional operations. For Envirotainer, a global leader in temperature-controlled transport solutions for the pharmaceutical industry, the country offers a combination that is hard to replicate in the region: regulatory stability, legal predictability, and highly qualified talent. In a context where logistics are as critical as the product being transported, Uruguay is establishing itself as a global player in the pharmaceutical market.

“Uruguay offers stability, predictability, and talent. For us, it’s much more than just an operational base—it’s the gateway to Latin America,”, says Soledad Ramírez.

From its base in Zonamerica, the company manages a complex regional operation that connects multiple markets under stringent regulatory standards, where understanding each country’s laws, innovating processes, and prioritizing sustainability are key to scaling efficiently.

Soledad, how did your career path lead you to become the head of Envirotainer’s operations in Uruguay and regional sales for Latin America?

I have a background in chemistry and began my career many years ago in the pharmaceutical industry. I worked for approximately ten years at a company also based in Zonamerica, in a role with a strong regional and corporate focus. That experience gave me in-depth knowledge of pharmaceutical regulations in Latin America, particularly regarding distribution, logistics, and the supply chain, with a special emphasis on quality.

In that context, I began working with cold chains and packaging for temperature-sensitive products, and that’s where I first encountered the product then known as Va-q-tec, a company that was just setting up operations in Uruguay. I fell in love with the product and decided to move “to the other side of the counter.” That’s how I joined the company, initially focusing on product development, logistics, supply chain, and quality assurance for high-value products.

 When will Envirotainer be established in Uruguay, and what role does the country currently play in the company’s regional strategy?

The company chose Uruguay twice. First, when Va-q-tec, a German company, decided to set up its subsidiary here. And then again, when Va-q-tec merged with Envirotainer two years ago. At that time, the company could have shut down operations or moved to larger markets such as Argentina or Brazil, but it chose Uruguay once more.

What was valued was the country’s growth as a pharmaceutical hub, its stability, predictability, and the available talent. Uruguay is a predictable country with good connectivity, and today it serves as the gateway to Latin America, much like Panama does for Central America. Despite some logistical challenges, many pharmaceutical companies choose to operate from here because of that combination of stability, talent, and regional access.

For those unfamiliar with the industry, how does the Envirotainer model work?

Our core business is to streamline logistics for the pharmaceutical industry through temperature-controlled packaging solutions. We offer both active and passive containers and boxes.

Active packaging requires an external power source. It can be plugged in at airports or run on batteries, like a cooler. Passive packaging, on the other hand, uses technology developed in Germany that allows it to maintain the temperature for more than a week without the need for an external power source.

Today, we offer a comprehensive portfolio ranging from large air freight containers to smaller active and passive shipping boxes. These packaging solutions are used to transport vaccines, cancer treatments, insulin, and other temperature-sensitive pharmaceutical products, ensuring that they are kept, for example, between 2 and 8 degrees Celsius throughout the entire journey.

Envirotainer is known for its innovative approach. What recent developments would you highlight, and how do they impact customers in the region?

In passive packaging, the insulation we have developed is up to ten times more efficient than traditional expanded polystyrene (EPS). This allows for better temperature retention and achieves a highly efficient ratio between external and internal volume.

When it comes to assets, we have developed a solar-powered container—the only one of its kind in the world—that is already in use in Europe. Although it is not yet available in Latin America, it clearly points the way forward.

What happens to the packaging in the end?

Envirotainer’s core focus is sustainability. We strongly encourage the reuse of containers and operate under a “product-as-a-service” model, offering rental programs so that packaging returns to the supply chain rather than being discarded at its destination.

A key aspect of this approach is reverse logistics. I can ship a product from Uruguay to Panama and plan to bring that empty box back here. At first glance, this seems unsustainable, because one might think that the emissions from flying an empty box back are worse than simply discarding it at the destination. But we’ve done all the studies, including with customers who already use reverse logistics, and it’s still less polluting to reuse that box than to throw it away. Extending its useful life is key to reducing environmental impact, and that’s what we’re looking to promote. In Latin America, we’re in an evangelization phase. We need to educate customers and work hard to build a culture of efficiency and the circular economy.

What are the key features of the Latin American market, and what are the main challenges and opportunities facing the pharmaceutical market in the region today?

Latin America is not a predictable region, but it is moving toward greater regulation and standardization, which is very positive. Regulations benefit the pharmaceutical industry and make products like ours increasingly necessary.

For example, in Brazil, certain medications must be transported at temperatures between 15 and 25 degrees, a range that was previously considered “room temperature.” In Chile, the REP law regulates industrial waste and penalizes the use of disposable packaging such as Styrofoam, promoting reusable solutions. These regulations force companies to think about sustainability, even when their first instinct is simply to comply with the law. For us, this represents a major growth opportunity in the region.

How do new trade agreements—such as those between Argentina and the United States or between Mercosur and the European Union—impact operations?

Envirotainer is a global company, so it does not tailor its strategy to the short-term political or economic circumstances of each country. There may be opportunities in the medium or long term, but at this point we do not see these agreements making a significant difference.

Where we do see concrete changes is in Argentina: there is greater openness to imports, easier access to foreign currency, and an exchange rate environment that makes our product more competitive. In the past, it was very difficult to compete with local industry due to taxes and restrictions; today, that is changing.

What unique advantages do you see in Uruguay that make an operation like Envirotainer’s viable and competitive?

The country's stability and predictability are key. Changes in government do not lead to major upheavals, which fosters confidence. In addition, there is a wealth of talent, a strong openness to innovation, and, because it is a small country, it is easier to implement changes.

The free trade zone law is a huge advantage for us. Being located in Zonamerica facilitates operations that are constantly in motion, with containers coming and going from the airport all the time. That gives us a significant operational edge.

What value does Zonamerica bring to its operations?

Zonamerica has a very strong pharmaceutical ecosystem. Many of the companies based here are our clients or the parent companies of pharmaceutical manufacturers that distribute throughout Latin America using our packaging.

The proximity to the airport, the constant availability of equipment, and the innovative spirit mean that “no” is not an option. We always find a way to make it happen. I’ve been working at the park for almost 20 years, and the growth has been impressive, always supported by the board of directors and the management team. The company chose Zonamerica in 2018 and chose it again in 2024, and today we continue to work on new expansion and growth projects. For us, being here is a strategic decision.