“We have decided to work closely together with TIACA”, Nathan De Valck, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Pharma.Aero, announces the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding
between TIACA and Pharma.Aero, and elaborates: “Collaboration is absolutely vital! […] This topic is too complex for individual heroes.”
Pharma.Aero’s MoU with IATA was inked back in March 2018 (CFG reported at the time: https://www.cargoforwarder.eu/2018/04/16/pharma-aero-has-blossomed-into-adulthood/). Now, 20 months later, Secretary General, Frank Van Gelder’s intention to
“help and therefore piggyback with larger organizations to strengthen and grow their content” by acting as an advisory board and supporting those organizations’ mandates, has also come
to fruition in regard to TIACA.
“How can we improve as an industry? By doing things together!”
Nathan de Valck stresses the need for collaboration and draws an analogy between Pharma.Aero and TIACA: “We focus on pharma and now we can focus on handling together with the shipper – so we have
a big supply chain bonus re end-to-end. I think the DNA of TIACA is much the same – we have a supply-chain focus.”
Pharma.Aero have scheduled their meeting in Budapest to coincide with TIACA’s executive summit, something that, according to Vladimir Zubkov “highlights the common interest and potential for
collaboration” and “I believe that signing of this MoU will be the major step (it is not the first step – there have been many before) in formalizing our relationship and good
collaboration.”
Nathan de Valck hopes that the two organizations “can leverage each other” and hopes to join courses for TIACA events whereby Pharma.Aero is represented by its members, and both organizations can
work on future projects to innovate the industry.
TIACA can certainly benefit and learn from Pharma.Aero’s direct shipper collaboration. Pharma.Aero, on the other hand, has just updated the audience on its current projects, one of which being an
“on tarmac” survey which will result in a recommendation to launch a follow-up project to look into various solutions in more details, and seek a way to share best-demonstrated practices amongst
members. Here, TIACA can prove a good communication platform.
IATA / TIACA relations are too tight, critics say
Vladimir Zubkov’s wish for more organizations like Pharma.Aero is echoed in the subsequent, unrelated, TIACA Cargo Handling workshop where criticism is voiced as to a lack of implementation in
regard to setting standards and the question is raised as to how TIACA differs to IATA if both appear to be working on similar topics (referring to a recent 105-page IATA publication regarding
the entire cargo supply chain and transport modes, yet which appears to leave out some cargo-industry relevant guidelines such as the definition of “latest acceptance time”). Yet, an organization
is only ever as good as its members, and there are many potential focus points, all with their individual complexities. One member suggests piece-level monitoring as a topic to get started on
together – not a new one topic, but again one that will only move forward if those members passionate about bringing about change decide to work together proactively in projects similar to the
Pharma.Aero approach.
Brigitte Gledhill
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