UPS, classified by governments and authorities as a system-critical service provider, is combining the flexibility of its global network with Qiagen's increased production of COVID-19 test kits, which are manufactured at the German site in Hilden, to help healthcare workers contain the spread of the disease.

"Private and public customers around the world are relying on the reliability of UPS's intelligent global logistics network to help fight this pandemic," said Lou Rivieccio, President UPS Europe. "Business continuity has never been more important to our customers, and we continue to deliver it, whether it's for the delivery or storage of medicines, test kits or medical supplies. To enable our customers and medical staff to focus on fighting the pandemic, we are ensuring that the sharp increase in the number of test kits reaches key destinations such as hospitals and laboratories around the world. Agility, flexibility and rapid responsiveness in the supply chain are helping to combat this outbreak, which has moved from Asia to Europe and North America."

In Europe, UPS recently invested two billion US dollars in its network and services. This investment enables the company to implement dynamic contingency plans to adapt to the rapidly changing business environment.

"We have already and will continue to increase the production of reagents and COVID-19 test cartridges to meet the extraordinary increase in global demand for our products. Our supply chains, both between our manufacturing sites and to customers in laboratories and hospitals, are critical to this," said Barthold Piening, Senior Vice President, Head of Global Operations at Qiagen. "Just as our teams at Qiagen work around the clock to keep production running, we rely on our logistics partner UPS to get these kits and components to where they are needed most, on time and in the best condition. We share the ambition to make our solutions available as widely as possible with UPS, which has a flexible global network."