Tower Cold Chain has become synonymous with tower cold chain fiabilité. Dans 2025 the company is redefining pharmaceutical logistics with universal, reusable containers that can keep medicines, vaccines and biologics within narrow temperature ranges for more than 120 hours without external power. Technologies de la chaîne du froid (CCT) acquired Tower in late 2024 and this partnership brings decades of expertise and a global network of hubs into one unified offering. This article explores how Tower’s robust containers, digital monitoring tools and sustainability initiatives can help you meet stringent regulatory requirements while improving operational efficiency.
What differentiates Tower’s reusable containers? Learn why universal pallets and small boxes deliver consistent temperature control, robust protection and market leading weight efficiency.
How does Tower ensure compliance and real time visibility? Discover the Smart Solutions platform and Tower Control Center, combining sensors and analytics for GDP compliant shipments.
Why is sustainability core to Tower’s strategy? Understand the carbon calculator, sustainability hub and EcoVadis gold rating, and how reusable systems reduce waste.
What are the latest product launches and trends? Explore the CCT Tower Elite, Evolution 1600 and KTEvolution 12 innovations unveiled at LogiPharma 2024–2025.
How do Tower’s solutions compare with single use packaging? Gain insights from industry research on the shift to reusable containers and the benefits they bring.
What makes Tower Cold Chain’s containers different?
Tower Cold Chain offers robust, reusable containers that maintain temperature stability for at least 120 heures. Pharmaceutical products often require strict conditions: vaccines usually need 2–8 °C refrigeration, biologics may require deep frozen conditions and gene therapies demand temperatures below –60 °C. Tower’s containers achieve these ranges by combining phase change materials (PCMS) or dry ice with advanced insulation and robust shells. According to CCT, le Tour CCT Élite universal pallet has a 1600 L Capacité, is compatible with both Euro and US pallets, and can maintain temperatures across four ranges — below –60 °C, –20 ° C, +5 °C et +20 °C — for over 120 hours without external power. The container uses different PCM plates or dry ice depending on the desired range and includes double doors for easy loading.
The design reduces total weight and maximises payload. The universal pallet is a quarter of the size of a standard PMC pallet yet offers class leading volumetric efficiency. Real world data from hundreds of thousands of shipments allowed Tower to optimise the amount of PCM required, saving weight and creating more space for product. CCT’s blog notes that early testers praised the container’s lightweight design and dual door access, describing it as “robust, novateur, excellent”.
Evolution 1600: universal, lightweight pallet
Le Evolution 1600 Tower Universal Pallet was unveiled at CPHI Barcelona 2023 and became commercially available in 2024. It offers a universal container compatible with US and EU pallets and has been optimised for shipments requiring temperatures between –60 °C and +20 °C. Les caractéristiques clés incluent:
| Fonctionnalité | Détails | Ce que cela signifie pour vous |
| Universal compatibility | Fits both Euro and US pallets | Simplifies global logistics by eliminating the need for separate pallet types. |
| Poids & space efficiency | ¼ size of PMC pallet; optimised PCM reduces weight | Lowers freight costs and increases payload per shipment. |
| Plage de température | –60 °C to +20 ° C pour 120 heures | Supports a wide range of pharmaceuticals without power or intervention. |
| Double door access | Dual doors and removable plates | Enhances safety and speeds up loading/unloading. |
| Built in data logging | Integrated sensors provide real time temperature updates | Gives continuous visibility and aids regulatory compliance. |
KTEvolution 12: small parcel innovation
For last mile deliveries, clinical trials and direct to patient shipments, Tower introduced the KTEvolution 12. Unveiled at LogiPharma 2024, it integrates existing PCMs or dry ice into a pyramid shaped plate configuration that maintains internal temperature consistency even when the box is tipped on its side. With a payload capacity of 12 L and a run time of more than 96 heures, the KTEvolution 12 supports temperatures from below –60 °C to above +20 °C. It includes a three layer hard shell with vacuum insulated panels for durability and uses recyclable polyethylene foam for impact protection. IoT sensors can be added for real time tracking. According to Martin Hawes, this design delivers a 30 % increase in thermal performance compared with semi reusable solutions.
KTEvolution 26 & 57 and K400 series
Tower also offers the KTEvolution 26 et KTEvolution 57 for medium parcel sizes, ainsi que le KT400 sub pallet series and KTM pallet range (Par exemple, KTM21, KTM31, KTM32, KTM42). These containers maintain temperature for 120 + hours and support various size requirements, donner de la flexibilité aux expéditeurs. Demonstrations of the KTEvolution range at Tower’s Centres of Excellence allow customers to experience the products first hand. The containers are available for demonstration at hubs in Reading, ROYAUME-UNI; Philadelphia, USA; and Singapore. The KTEvolution range is capable of transporting products requiring internal temperatures of –80 °C, –60 °C, –20 ° C, +5 °C et +20 °C for more than 120 heures.
Product selection tool
Tower’s website includes a payload calculator and product reference chart that help customers select the right container for their shipment’s volume and temperature profile. By entering payload dimensions and desired temperature range, you receive recommendations for pallet, sub pallet or parcel shippers with links to technical data sheets. These interactive tools improve user engagement and reduce the risk of choosing the wrong container size, contributing to lower returns and improved customer satisfaction.
Astuces et conseils pratiques
Assess payload size and temperature range: Choose a container that fits your product dimensions and temperature requirements. Par exemple, use the Evolution 1600 or CCT Tower Elite for large consignments and the KTEvolution range for small shipments.
Plan return logistics: Tower’s Click and Collect service simplifies the return of reusable containers by coordinating pick ups at regional hubs or customer sites. Pre book returns to avoid storage costs.
Use built in data loggers: Integrate IoT sensors and data loggers with your supply chain management system to receive real time alerts and ensure swift corrective action if temperature deviations occur.
Investir dans la formation: Ensure warehouse and logistics staff are trained in packing, conditioning and handling of Tower containers to maximise performance and comply with GDP requirements.
Étude de cas: A large vaccine manufacturer shifted from single use packaging to Tower’s reusable pallet shippers. Sur 12 months the company reduced packaging waste by more than 100,000 kg and achieved an estimated 20 % reduction in shipping costs due to improved volumetric efficiency. Real time monitoring through CCT’s Smart Solutions platform allowed the quality team to detect temperature excursions promptly, reducing product loss and ensuring GDP compliance. This shift also supported corporate sustainability goals and improved stakeholder perception.
How do Tower’s digital services ensure compliance and visibility?
Tower’s acquisition by Cold Chain Technologies created a powerful combination of physical containers and digital capabilities. The CCT Smart Solutions platform includes asset management, shipment tracking and predictive analytics. Each CCT Tower Elite unit is equipped with IoT enabled data loggers that provide near real time temperature and location data. The data feeds into a dashboard that shows current temperature, route progress and estimated time of arrival. If deviations occur, automated alerts prompt corrective actions, reducing the risk of product spoilage.
Le Tower Control Center complements Smart Solutions by offering deeper analytics, compliance documentation and carbon footprint reporting. It supports Good Distribution Practice (PIB) compliance by archiving shipping documentation, qualification certificates and temperature logs for audit readiness. Customers can generate performance reports and share them with regulators, simplifying inspections.
DSCSA and traceability
Upcoming pharmaceutical supply chain regulations, such as the U.S. Loi sur la sécurité de la chaîne d'approvisionnement en médicaments (DSCSA) and Europe’s Falsified Medicines Directive, demand greater traceability. DSCSA enforcement deadlines in 2025 require manufacturers, distributors and dispensers to maintain interoperable electronic systems and to document temperature data along the supply chain. Inspectors expect digital records showing who responded to temperature alarms, what corrective action was taken and how deviations were resolved. Tower’s platforms centralise these records and integrate them with product serialization data, ensuring compliance and reducing manual workloads.
Audit readiness and validation
Audit ready documentation includes calibration certificates for data loggers, qualification reports for container performance and records of routine validations. Expired certificates or outdated mapping studies can lead to regulatory findings. Tower’s quality team provides updated calibration and validation documentation and can perform thermal qualification studies to demonstrate compliance with standards like ISTA 7D. The digital platform keeps these documents accessible for audits.
Benefits for you
By combining reusable containers with digital monitoring, Tower Cold Chain offers several advantages:
Perte de produit réduite: Real time alerts allow supply chain teams to intervene before temperature excursions compromise product integrity.
Simplified compliance: Automated record keeping and qualification documentation support GDP, DSCSA and EU GDP requirements.
Operational efficiency: Digital visibility into container locations helps coordinate pick ups, reduce idle time and optimise fleet utilization.
Data driven insights: Predictive analytics identify trends in temperature excursions, enabling proactive risk mitigation and route optimisation.
Why is sustainability central to Tower’s strategy?
Tower Cold Chain recognises that temperature controlled logistics can contribute to significant waste and carbon emissions if not managed responsibly. Dans 2024, CCT surpassed its goal of avoiding 100 million lb of landfill waste through reusable packaging. Tower Cold Chain earned an EcoVadis gold medal in 2024, ranking in the top 5 % of businesses for sustainability practices. These achievements reflect years of investment in sustainable materials, reverse logistics programs and energy efficient hubs.
Sustainability hub and carbon footprint calculator
En octobre 2024 Tower launched a sustainability hub on its website, providing customers with a toolkit, knowledge resources and performance data. The hub includes a carbon footprint calculator that predicts emissions from pharmaceutical transport and helps customers measure environmental impact. Users can input route length, mode of transport and container type to estimate carbon emissions and explore ways to reduce them, such as using reusable pallets instead of single use foam boxes. Marloes Wanrooij, Tower’s EMEA operations manager and sustainability lead, emphasizes that sustainability communications should offer pratique, data based insight rather than just reporting.
EcoVadis and ethical sourcing
Tower’s improvement from a silver to a gold EcoVadis rating underscores its commitment to environmental, social and governance (ESG) principles. The evaluation covers energy consumption, emissions, labor practices and supply chain ethics. Tower’s operations include energy efficient conditioning hubs (rated A+++), optimized return logistics to minimise empty miles and partnerships with local recycling facilities to process returned insulation materials. The company also provides an ethics and compliance declarations section in its sustainability hub, offering transparency on corporate policies.
Circular economy and landfill avoidance
Tower’s containers are designed to be reused hundreds of times. When components reach end of life, they are recycled or repurposed. By using robust reusable containers instead of single use packaging, pharmaceutical shippers significantly reduce waste, aligning with global regulations such as the European Union’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PP). The shift to reusable packaging is supported by industry research: one third of UK consumers are willing to pay more for sustainable packaging and there is a clear preference for reusable containers to reduce carbon footprint.
Global network and energy efficient hubs
Tower and CCT operate three Centres of Excellence and more than 54 regional hubs across 26 pays. The network ensures local availability, shorter transit distances and faster container conditioning, which reduces energy use and emissions. New hubs opened in Toronto and Hyderabad strengthen presence in the Americas and APAC regions. En plus, CCT’s APAC investment program includes a new hub in Tokyo, partnerships with distributors Hubnet and TWS, rebranding to CCT Australia and CCT India and a new manufacturing site in Mumbai. These developments support the availability of reusable pallets and parcels and reduce carbon emissions by enabling local servicing and shorter return routes.
How does Tower compare with single use packaging?
To appreciate the value of Tower’s reusable containers, it helps to contrast them with single use or semi reusable alternatives. Niall Balfour, CEO of Tower Cold Chain, notes that moving away from single use packaging is essential for sustainability and that three functions remain critical: a robust container, precise temperature control and an optimal packaging to payload ratio. Single use containers are often lighter and cheaper up front but may compromise durability and weatherproofing. Once disposed of, their end of life processing is uncertain, especially in regions without strict waste management regulations. Semi reusable systems, which rely on lightweight foam inserts, can require frequent replacement of components, increasing cost and complexity.
Par contre, Tower’s fully reusable containers:
Réduire les déchets: Designed for hundreds of trips, they avoid the disposal of foam and gel packs. Par exemple, Tower and CCT’s reusable packaging programme diverted 12.5 million shipments worth of packaging from landfill, surpassing a goal of 100 million lb of waste avoided.
Deliver consistent performance: Rigid shells and advanced PCMs maintain temperature for 96–120 hours, regardless of orientation, and withstand impacts.
Provide transparency: Integrated IoT sensors allow live tracking and automated alerts.
Optimiser les coûts: While the initial investment is higher, reuse and weight efficiency lower total cost of ownership over time, particularly when freight rates are calculated by volumetric weight.
Tower’s latest developments and trends in 2025
Aperçu de la tendance
The pharmaceutical cold chain continues to evolve rapidly. Dans 2025, Tower and CCT launched the Tour CCT Élite Dans le cadre de la Let’s Go Further campaign, marking their first joint innovation since the acquisition. The new pallet shipper offers universal availability, precise temperature control and integrated IoT monitoring. Its compatibility with both Euro and US pallets eliminates the need for regional variations and allows 24 hour pick up or delivery at any Centre of Excellence.
Another significant milestone is the KTEvolution 12 récipient, which features a pyramid shaped PCM plate system and 96 hour runtime. This innovation underscores Tower’s focus on small parcel solutions for last mile and clinical trial logistics. Customers can also choose larger KTEvolution sizes (26 L and 57 L) for direct to patient or sample shipments, all offering multi temperature capability.
Tower’s global network has expanded dramatically since the acquisition. À la fin de 2024 the combined Tower CCT network comprised 3 Centres of Excellence and 54 hubs in 26 pays, and additional hubs were added in Toronto, Hyderabad and Tokyo in 2025. Local presence reduces lead times and ensures availability of pre conditioned containers.
From a sustainability perspective, Tower and CCT surpassed their landfill avoidance target and achieved EcoVadis gold status, while launching a sustainability hub and carbon calculator. They also maintain energy efficient hubs and encourage the return of containers via the Click and Collect service.
Les dernières innovations en un coup d'œil
Universal CCT Tower Elite: Reusable pallet shipper with 1600 L Capacité, Euro/US compatibility, four temperature ranges and integrated IoT monitoring.
Evolution 1600 Universal Pallet: Léger, quarter size of a PMC pallet with removable plates and built in data loggers.
KTEvolution 12: Pyramid plate design for consistent temperature when the container is tipped; 96+ hours runtime; IoT optional.
APAC expansion: New hubs in Tokyo, distribution partnerships (Hubnet, TWS) and rebranding to CCT Australia/India with a manufacturing site in Mumbai.
Sustainability hub and carbon calculator: Provides ESG resources and emissions measurement tools to help customers meet regulatory and corporate goals.
Perspicacité du marché
The move to reusable packaging reflects wider market trends. The temperature controlled packaging market was valued at USD 18.56 milliards en 2024 and is expected to reach USD 36.97 milliards 2032, with a compound annual growth rate of about 9 %. Growth is driven by the rapid expansion of biologics, vaccines and cell therapies, increasing demand for containers that can handle deep frozen and ultra cold temperatures. En plus, regulatory pressures such as the FDA’s Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) 204 rule require better traceability and record keeping of temperature data, encouraging adoption of digital monitoring.
In the Asia Pacific region, CCT’s investment aims to capitalise on strong growth prospects. New hubs and partnerships allow faster service and lower emissions, while the manufacturing facility in Mumbai reduces lead times and fosters local job creation. With organised retail and e commerce booming, demand for reliable cold chain solutions continues to rise.
Questions fréquemment posées
Q1: How long can Tower Cold Chain containers maintain temperature?
Most Tower containers provide at least 120 heures of temperature stability without external power. Par exemple, the Evolution 1600 pallet and CCT Tower Elite maintain temperatures from –60 °C to +20 ° C pour 120 heures. The KTEvolution 12 offers over 96 hours of protection for smaller shipments. Always confirm performance specifications during qualification.
Q2: What temperature ranges do Tower containers support?
Tower’s universal pallets and parcel shippers support multiple ranges: ultra froid (<–60 °C), congelé (–20 ° C), réfrigéré (+5 °C) and controlled room temperature (+20 °C). The KTEvolution series also supports –80 °C for certain biologics. The ability to handle multiple ranges reduces the number of container types needed.
Q3: How does Tower ensure compliance with regulations?
Containers are qualified to ISTA 7D standards and meet GDP requirements. Integrated data loggers provide traceability and digital records for DSCSA and FSMA 204 conformité. The Smart Solutions and Tower Control Center platforms store calibration certificates, deviation reports and audit documentation, ensuring inspectors have access to all required information.
Q4: Can I monitor shipments in real time?
Oui. Tower containers include IoT enabled sensors that transmit temperature and location data to CCT’s digital platform. Users can track shipments, receive alerts and generate reports via web or mobile dashboards.
Q5: How does the Click and Collect service work?
Tower’s Click and Collect program allows customers to schedule returns of empty containers through the network of hubs. When a shipment is delivered, the container is collected from the consignee and returned to the nearest hub for conditioning and redeployment. This simplifies reverse logistics and enhances sustainability.
Résumé et recommandations
Tower Cold Chain’s acquisition by Cold Chain Technologies has created a powerful synergy between physical packaging expertise and digital monitoring solutions. Robust, reusable containers such as the CCT Tower Elite and Evolution 1600 provide 120 hour protection, universal compatibility and market leading weight efficiency, helping life science companies streamline global logistics. KTEvolution parcels extend this protection to last mile deliveries, offering innovative plate designs and IoT integration. Tower’s digital platforms simplify compliance and enhance visibility, while the sustainability hub and carbon calculator underscore a commitment to reducing environmental impact.
For organisations shipping temperature sensitive products, adopting Tower’s solutions can yield tangible benefits: decreased waste, improved traceability, and cost efficiency through reuse. Pour commencer, evaluate your shipment profiles and select the appropriate pallet or parcel container. Integrate IoT monitoring for real time insights and ensure staff are trained in conditioning and handling. Use the sustainability hub to measure carbon emissions and implement reduction strategies. By partnering with Tower Cold Chain and CCT, you can achieve reliable, sustainable and compliant cold chain logistics.
À propos du tempk
Tempk is a trusted partner in the cold chain industry. We specialise in sustainable thermal packaging and digital solutions for life science logistics. Our products include reusable pallet and parcel shippers, thermal covers and pre conditioned solutions, supported by a global network of hubs and technical services. We collaborate closely with customers to design solutions that balance performance, coût et durabilité. Recent innovations include universal pallet shippers with integrated IoT monitoring and curbside recyclable materials. With more than 50 années d'expérience, we are committed to excellence and continuous improvement.
For expert guidance on selecting the right Tower Cold Chain solution or integrating digital monitoring, contact our team aujourd'hui. We’re ready to help you streamline your cold chain operations and achieve your sustainability goals.
