On November 8, HB TempCon held a strategic launch event focused on the globalization of China's aviation temperature control industry at the 9th China International Import Expo (CIIE). At the event, HB TempCon, a subsidiary of Haier Biomedical, officially unveiled its *From Chinese Innovation to Global Service: HB TempCon 2030 Strategy (Network Expansion Phase)*, presenting for the first time a comprehensive roadmap for building its global service network over the next five years.

At the launch, representatives from the China Federation of Logistics & Purchasing, Shanghai Henlius Biotech, China Eastern Air Logistics, Lanxi Capital, Haier Capital and other organizations joined HB TempCon in launching the initiative “HB TempCon Takes Flight, Bringing Temperature Control to the World: Building a Global Aviation Temperature Control Ecosystem.” The initiative reflects Haier Biomedical’s commitment to building an RMB 10-billion-scale aviation temperature control ecosystem through open collaboration.

01 Expanding Global Market Creates New Opportunities for HB TempCon’s Ambitious Goals

The global pharmaceutical air freight market is growing rapidly, with active temperature-controlled containers leading the sector in growth. China’s accelerating development of biomanufacturing, the restructuring of global pharmaceutical supply chains, and the parallel trends of domestic innovation and global expansion in life sciences are opening up a historic window of opportunity for the aviation temperature control industry.

The global pharmaceutical air freight market is projected to grow from US$18.7 billion in 2025 to US$38.4 billion by 2034.

HB TempCon has set out a clear set of strategic targets:

- By 2030, obtain European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) airworthiness certification, establishing global certification capabilities covering the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and EASA.

- Increase revenue approximately 165-fold from current levels.

- Beginning in 2030, provide container services at scale to the world’s top 10 pharmaceutical companies, advancing its ambition to become a China-led global top-three player.

Three key pathways will support the execution of this strategy:

1. Build a global service and maintenance network. Establish at least 50 service locations worldwide, with strategically positioned hubs and localized operations and maintenance, backed by 24/7 emergency response to ensure container availability and reliability at airports around the world.

2. Expand the open ecosystem. Sign partnerships with at least 50 airlines, bringing more carriers into the network and integrating temperature-controlled containers into their standard air cargo offerings to establish reliable global air transport channels.

3. Deploy 2,000 active temperature-controlled containers. Phase in production capacity, establish regional distribution hubs for rapid allocation, and align container deployment with airline routes and pharmaceutical companies’ global distribution needs.

02 Open Ecosystem and Scenario-Driven Technology: Building Asia-Pacific’s First RMB 10-Billion-Scale Aviation Temperature Control Ecosystem

The globalization of innovative medicines and biological products has made uninterrupted temperature control throughout intercontinental transportation an essential requirement. For years, this “cold chain in the sky” has faced persistent challenges, including limited capacity, geopolitical uncertainties and rising costs. Through its leasing and operational services for active temperature-controlled containers, HB TempCon is addressing these gaps and connecting the entire logistics chain. It is positioning itself as a full-lifecycle service provider for active aviation temperature control and is the first operator in the Asia-Pacific region to have obtained airworthiness approvals from both CAAC and the U.S. FAA.

By building an open ecosystem and bringing together industry associations, technology providers, operations and maintenance partners, capital partners and freight forwarders around customer needs, HB TempCon has helped establish industry standards, advance technological development and drive the industrialization of aviation temperature control from the ground up. It has also completed its product portfolio with two mainstream container models: RKN-AT1 and RAP-AT1.

RKN-AT1 | Compact Single-Pallet Active Temperature-Controlled Container

Designed to meet the needs of cross-border air shipments involving small consignments and tight delivery schedules, the RKN-AT1 serves applications such as the cross-border transfer of clinical samples, regional distribution of early-stage biological products, emergency shipments of special medical supplies and global deployment of small vaccine consignments. It eliminates the need to consolidate shipments into a full container load, allowing customers to lease containers as needed and put them into service immediately.

Its extended operating endurance covers the transportation cycles of most medium-haul intercontinental belly cargo flights, providing a flexible solution for pharmaceutical companies shipping small, high-value consignments by air.

RAP-AT1 | High-Capacity Five-Pallet Mainline Container

Designed for intercontinental distribution of pharmaceuticals at the commercialization stage, the RAP-AT1 supports the large-scale global shipment of biosimilars, bulk vaccine consignments and blood products.

HB TempCon’s active temperature-controlled containers have obtained CAAC airworthiness approval, FAA design approval and a CCAR-145 maintenance license, establishing a complete qualification framework covering R&D, manufacturing, maintenance and operations. The product is also the first aviation temperature-controlled container in the Asia-Pacific region to receive FAA design approval. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has assigned it the two-character code “6U,” giving China’s aviation temperature control industry an independent identity within the global air cargo system.

Leveraging Haier’s supply chain resources and domestic manufacturing capabilities, HB TempCon offers a range of flexible leasing models to meet the container requirements of different customers, including airline-operated deployment, block-space arrangements through freight forwarders, and customer-owned containers for pharmaceutical companies. This means pharmaceutical companies no longer need to make substantial capital investments in temperature-controlled containers as fixed assets. Instead, they can lease containers flexibly according to routes, shipment batches and required temperature ranges.

03 More Than Two Decades of Technological Expertise Behind Global Temperature Control Capabilities

How can a company established just four years ago take on the global aviation temperature control market?

As a key strategic initiative of Haier Biomedical in the biopharmaceutical distribution segment, HB TempCon is backed by the company's long-standing technological and industrial expertise. Haier Biomedical first broke through technological barriers in ultra-low-temperature storage, challenging the dominance of overseas suppliers. It then transformed through the adoption of the Internet of Things (IoT), building an ecosystem of biosafety technologies. Now, driven by AI, it is advancing toward an integrated life science tools and intelligent productivity platform. Along this journey, it has developed four industry-leading businesses in China, each ranking among the world's top three: low-temperature storage, laboratory instruments, automated pharmacies and blood technology. HB TempCon is a key part of Haier Biomedical's third strategic transformation.

Drawing on three core strengths from Haier Biomedical, namely its innovation capabilities in using AI and automation to transform application scenarios, its industry-leading capabilities in mergers and acquisitions and integration, and its proven global operational capabilities, HB TempCon is steadily building a distinctive set of competitive strengths through its industrial practices.

Four Core Competitive Strengths

1. Industry-Leading Airworthiness Certification Capabilities

An active temperature-controlled container is essentially a temperature control system installed in an aircraft cargo hold, making airworthiness certification one of the industry's highest barriers to entry. HB TempCon obtained its dual CAAC and FAA approvals in approximately one-eighth of the industry average time. Its existing approvals cover around 70% of global market access requirements.

2. Proven GDP Compliance Expertise

For customers purchasing aviation temperature control services, compliance documentation is a key focus of supplier audits. Building on Haier Biomedical's more than 20 years of experience serving manufacturers of biological products, HB TempCon strictly adheres to good supply practice for pharmaceutical products and provides customers with temperature control validation documents, deviation records and compliance files, supporting pharmaceutical companies in meeting their quality audit requirements.

3. Strong In-House R&D Across the Entire Technology Stack

HB TempCon has independently developed all three core components: the temperature control system, the electronic control and management system, and the ultra-lightweight insulated container body. It continues to optimize container models, energy efficiency and operating endurance. Its extended operating endurance and ability to operate across a wide ambient temperature range of -32°C to 49°C demonstrate the capabilities of this R&D system under demanding aviation operating conditions.

4. Open Collaboration Across the Organization and Ecosystem

HB TempCon is pursuing an open approach across four dimensions: R&D, global operations and maintenance networks, marketing, and international talent. It is working with airlines, pharmaceutical companies, freight forwarders and industry associations to establish a standardized collaborative network for temperature-controlled logistics. The launch of the Global Aviation Temperature Control Ecosystem initiative at the CIIE marks the first collective implementation of this open strategy.

From Individual Containers to a Global Service Network

20 airline partners · 22 global hub operating locations

More than 30 countries · 60 destinations · Over 100 available routes

Airline partners include Air China Cargo, China Southern Air Logistics, China Eastern Air Logistics, Qatar Airways, Korean Air and others. Moving beyond simply providing transportation capacity to enabling coordinated global deployment, HB TempCon is building an independently controlled, globally connected aviation temperature control service network. Its role is evolving from a transportation capacity provider and a physical cargo handler into a manager of value across the entire supply chain.

As Yu Fangfang, General Manager of the Industrial Fund at Lanxi Capital, noted at the event, HB TempCon is leveraging technological self-reliance and open collaboration to expand beyond China and reach global markets.

Conclusion

From its current global operations network to its 2030 strategic vision, HB TempCon has laid out a roadmap for connecting its active temperature-controlled containers to the supply chains of the world's top 10 pharmaceutical companies. In a global pharmaceutical cold chain market long dominated by European and American leasing providers, this young company, controlled by Haier Biomedical, aims to establish a strong position along this “lifeline in the sky” through dual airworthiness approvals, a significantly faster certification process and an open ecosystem. By advancing domestically developed equipment, HB TempCon seeks to break down overseas barriers and serve global health.