As the analytical laboratories of German healthcare and performance materials giant Merck do not cover all the required parameters at their site in Gernsheim, special laboratory tests have to be performed at the company’s Darmstadt site, some 25 kilometers away.

Usually, a van handles the transport to and from both sites twice every working day – a suboptimal solution, costing time and money.

The remote island of Pentecost is one of 83 islands in the South Pacific that make up the nation of Vanuatu. The 60 km long island is made up predominantly of mountainous terrain covered in dense jungle. In many cases, the islanders don’t have access to roads, electricity or permanent healthcare facilities.

Providing access to vaccines in the most remote communities involves nurses travelling from health centers, sometimes having to hike for several hours or days, or travel by boat around the island. Even short distances can take long and costly hours in which the heat-sensitive medical supplies are exposed to the tropical heat and arduous travel conditions.