US-based Pelican Biothermal (Plymouth, Minnesota; www.pelicanbiothermal.com), a leading provider of temperature-controlled packaging solutions for the life sciences industry, has opened new offices in Germany and South Korea.

The expansion has been driven by increasing sales and distribution in Europe and Asia. The company said its growth strategy is focused on providing service and sales support in the same time zones, languages and culture as its worldwide customers with designated regional offices.

The primary beneficiaries of the extended network are pharmaceutical and other companies that have specialised shipping requirements. Products offered and supported include parcel and bulk-sized thermal packaging designed for single-use or reuse, and multiple temperature ranges.

Pelican Biothermal has expended extensively in recent years, with several investments made this year in its infrastructure and support network. This month, the company announced it had partnered with Pharmaserv Express (Quezon City / Philippines; www.pharmaservexpress.com) and CMC Element in China to enhance its operations in Asia. In April 2016, collaborations were agreed with BioThermal Solutions (Quilicura / Chile; www.biothermalsolutions.com) and NatBio in Brazil to extend its cold chain logistics offering in South America. A new Asia headquarters was opened in Singapore last May.

The company offers a suite of protection packaging solutions for transporting pharmaceuticals, clinical trials, diagnostics, tissue, vaccines and blood supplies. The temperature-controlled containers range from -50 °C to 25 °C in capacities ranging from 2 to 96 litres.