LogiPharma 2026: Seamus Keane on Building Smarter Supply Networks

As global pharmaceutical supply chains continue to face pressure from geopolitical volatility and shifting trade dynamics, the conversation around resilience is evolving beyond contingency planning. At LogiPharma Europe 2026, industry leaders are zeroing in on a more proactive approach: designing supply networks that can withstand disruption before it happens. Among those leading that discussion is Seamus Keane, VP of Pharma and Healthcare for Europe at Kuehne+Nagel.

In an interview with Pharmaceutical Commerce ahead of his session, “Resilient Network Design: How can you build intelligent networks to protect supply continuity in an unstable world?”, Keane outlines a shift in how biopharma companies should think about supply chain strategy. Rather than relying on reactive risk mitigation, he notes that resilience must be embedded into the very architecture of the network, leveraging data, scenario modeling, and end-to-end visibility to anticipate disruptions and respond with speed and precision.

Keane emphasizes that today’s disruptions are rarely isolated events but systemic shocks that ripple across regions and tiers of the supply chain. In this context, traditional safeguards like backup routes are no longer sufficient. What’s required, he explains, are “intelligent” networks that offer real-time visibility, predictive risk insights, and the flexibility to dynamically reconfigure logistics flows.

PC: How can biopharma leaders use network design as a strategic tool to improve long-term supply chain continuity and resilience?

Keane: Biopharma leaders are increasingly recognising that resilience is not something you “switch on” during a disruption: it has to be designed into the network from the start. Moving beyond reactive mitigation means using data, scenario modeling, and visibility to actively shape supply chain architecture around patient risk, product criticality, and volatility exposure.

An intelligent network connects manufacturing, inventory positioning, transport modes, and partners in a way that allows companies to anticipate disruption, rebalance flows quickly, and make informed trade-offs between cost, service, and risk. The goal is continuity by design: not just contingency planning after the fact.

What “intelligent” features must a modern pharmaceutical network possess to remain resilient against trade disruptions?

Backup routes alone are no longer sufficient because today’s disruptions tend to be systemic rather than isolated. Intelligent pharmaceutical networks need real-time visibility across tiers, predictive risk intelligence, and the ability to dynamically reconfigure flows when conditions change.

This includes flexible modal strategies, diversified gateway access, qualified alternative lanes that can be activated quickly, and strong orchestration between logistics, quality, and supply planning teams. In an unstable world, resilience comes from optionality, transparency, and the speed of decision-making, supported by partners who can operate at global scale while executing locally.

In today’s climate, is near-shoring a realistic strategy for supply chain security for most manufacturers?

Near-shoring can play a role, but it is not a universal or standalone solution, especially in biopharma, where manufacturing complexity, regulatory requirements, and capacity constraints limit how quickly production can be relocated.

For most manufacturers, resilience is better achieved through a balanced network strategy: selective regionalization where it makes sense, combined with global sourcing supported by intelligent logistics design. The real question is not “near-shore versus offshore,” but how to create networks that are agile enough to operate reliably under constant change without compromising patient supply.