DENTON (UNT), Texas — As part of the largest-ever Pharma Logistics Masterclass held in North America, the University of North Texas welcomed industry professionals dedicated to addressing critical issues in the global pharmaceutical field.

Founded in 2021, the Pharma Logistics Masterclass is an international program that brings together experts from universities, logistics companies and the pharmaceutical industry to discuss and solve challenges in transporting medicines. The program focuses on learning from different fields to improve how medicines are delivered worldwide.

In partnership with Pharma.Aero, the University of Antwerp, Dallas Fort Worth International Airport and the University of Texas at Arlington, UNT helped bring this event to the U.S. following its success in Europe, the Middle East and Southeast Asia.

Brian Sauser, chair of the Department of Supply Chain Management at UNT’s G. Brint Ryan College of Business, and Clinton Purtell, Clinical Assistant Professor of Supply Chain Management and Associate Director of the UNT Jim McNatt Institute for Logistics Research, played crucial roles in securing UNT as a location for the masterclass, serving on the planning committee from the start.

“This collaboration demonstrates UNT’s commitment to advancing the life sciences logistics industry,” Sauser said. “The conference highlights the significant contributions the Ryan College of Business’s undergraduate program in logistics and supply chain management, ranked fourth in North America by Gartner. UNT also offers one of the world’s only aviation logistics concentration as part of it supply chain management degree, which introduces students to the business of aviation, beyond the role of pilots."

As the initiative grows, the Pharma.Aero conference curriculum covers key topics such as transportation methods, sustainable practices, artificial intelligence in pharmaceutical supply chains, drone delivery in health care and promoting innovation in pharmaceutical logistics.

As part of the masterclass, a drone demonstration by the College of Engineering took place at the UNT Advanced Air Mobility (UAAM) test facility at UNT’s Discovery Park. The outdoor netted drone facility is part of UNT’s Center of Integrated Intelligent Mobility Systems (CIIMS), an interdisciplinary research endeavor paving the way for the future of transportation and mobility. Standing at 80 feet tall, 120 feet long, and 300 feet wide, the UAAM facility is the largest of its kind in Texas and one of the biggest nationally. The center is creating solutions for the complexities of devices such as unmanned aerial vehicles and autonomous cars from the programming needed to operate them to policies guiding their successful integration into everyday society.

“Through this masterclass, we’re not just showcasing the potential of drone technology, we’re also affirming UNT’s role as a leader in innovation, supply chain, and aviation logistics research, and introducing our expansion of research to include drones and advanced air mobility applications in logistics,” Purtell said. “With the FAA clearing North Texas for long-range drone deliveries, it’s thrilling to demonstrate unmanned aerial vehicles in action for global executives for the first time. I enjoyed introducing my research on drones and advanced air mobility to the conference attendees, explaining the global emergence of commercial drone logistics, and challenging the audience to think about last-mile and middle-mile applications."