In this Q&A, Eric ten Kate, CEVA Logistics’ Global Sector Leader for Healthcare, shares his perspective on how emerging technologies, demographic shifts, urbanisation, and sustainability demands are reshaping healthcare logistics across the Benelux.
Drawing on more than 25 years of experience in complex, regulated, and time-critical healthcare supply chains, Eric outlines how CEVA is evolving towards patient-centric, data-enabled, and sustainable logistics solutions that support innovation, resilience, and better outcomes for patients.
He shares his views on how emerging technologies, sustainability imperatives, and evolving models of care are transforming healthcare supply chains across the Benelux. He explores the growing importance of data-driven logistics, patient-centric delivery models, and resilient, compliant networks, highlighting the critical role logistics will play in enabling faster access to therapies, supporting decentralised care, and ultimately delivering better, more reliable outcomes for patients throughout the region.
How do you see emerging technologies like AI, IoT, and telemedicine reshaping healthcare logistics in the Benelux over the next five years?
Technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) are increasingly recognized as valuable enablers in healthcare logistics rather than replacements for existing systems or human expertise. IoT solutions provide real-time visibility across the healthcare supply chain by enabling continuous tracking of medical supplies, equipment, and environmental conditions, while AI leverages this data to support predictive analytics, demand forecasting, and operational optimization.
Together, these tools enhance transparency, efficiency, and decision-making in areas such as inventory management, cold-chain monitoring, and distribution planning. When implemented appropriately, IoT and AI can reduce waste, improve availability of critical resources, and strengthen the resilience of healthcare logistics, while complementing—not substituting—clinical and operational judgment.
What steps is CEVA taking to ensure its logistics solutions remain compatible with increasingly data-driven and connected healthcare systems?
To challenge the status quo, we engage proactively with market needs and include this into the system and network of CEVA. To ensure that logistics solutions remain compatible with increasingly data-driven and connected healthcare systems, the focus is on architecture, standards, governance, and people, not only on technology.
We work closely with our innovation team on assessing solutions that can help us drive our healthcare offering forward leveraging the available data. We’re currently running a number of Proof-of-Concept trials with our customers and suppliers, assessing the scalability of these solutions for the wider healthcare sector customer base.
With the Benelux population ageing and chronic disease prevalence increasing, how is CEVA adapting its healthcare logistics strategies to meet these long-term trends?
To meet the healthcare demands of the ageing Benelux population and rising chronic disease prevalence, logistics companies must transform towards patient-centric, data-enabled service models.
This includes expanding direct-to-patient delivery, strengthening cold chain and specialty logistics, leveraging predictive analytics, building integrated care platforms, and enhancing resilience across supply networks. These strategic adaptations will enable CEVA to support home-based care, complex therapies, and continuous delivery needs efficiently and reliably.
How does urbanisation in the Benelux influence CEVA’s last-mile delivery models for healthcare products and services?
Urbanisation in the Benelux accelerates demand for agile, sustainable, and patient-centric last-mile delivery models. Logistics strategies must evolve leveraging micro-hubs, alternative delivery modes, smart pick-up networks, and regulatory-aligned fleets to efficiently serve dense city populations while meeting healthcare quality and service expectations.
What role do you see logistics playing in supporting patient empowerment, such as same-day deliveries, home-installation of medical devices, and greater transparency?
Logistics plays a critical role in patient empowerment by enabling timely access, home-based care, and transparent, predictable service delivery. Through same-day delivery, device installation, and real-time visibility, logistics shift from a supporting function to a patient-facing enabler of autonomy, trust, and continuity of care. We have experience with this concept elsewhere in Europe already which is being leveraged to further expand the role logistics can play in patient empowerment.
How is CEVA addressing the growing demand for sustainable and eco-friendly healthcare supply chains in the region?
We see a growing demand for sustainable healthcare supply chains across the globe. The industry changes to more sustainable solutions e.g. shift from Air to Ocean. CEVA addresses the need for sustainable, eco-friendly healthcare supply chains through holistic climate strategies, investments in green infrastructure, circular economy practices, digital and low-carbon logistics solutions, and collaboration with key healthcare players. These efforts not only reduce environmental impact but also support healthcare companies in meeting their own sustainability goals.
With more care being delivered outside hospitals, how is CEVA preparing to serve decentralised healthcare models, such as home care and community clinics?
CEVA’s portfolio extends beyond long-haul freight to incorporate services tailored for last-mile delivery to homes, clinics, and community care settings, aligning logistics with the way care is increasingly delivered. Investments in specialised warehousing and cold-chain solutions reflect readiness to maintain product quality all the way through the decentralised network. By consolidating services under the CEVAFORPATIENTS approach and expanding home care logistics, CEVA is positioning logistics as an enabler of patient convenience, treatment adherence, and care accessibility.
What is your vision for CEVA’s role in supporting the transformation of the Benelux healthcare sector over the next decade, and what excites you most about this future?
Over the next years, I see CEVA evolving from a best-in-class logistics provider into a strategic ecosystem partner for the Benelux healthcare sector—one that enables resilient, patient-centric, digital, and sustainable supply chains. This means CEVA will help healthcare companies in the Benelux to accelerate innovation to patients faster, build resilient, compliant supply chains that can adapt to regulatory change, geopolitical risk, and demand volatility, decarbonize healthcare logistics without compromising product integrity or service quality, leverage data and visibility to make smarter, faster, and more sustainable decisions.
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