"The University Hospital of Zurich is considered one of the most important hospital centers in Europe," says Christian Beer, CEO of the intralogistics provider with the evocative name "Servus." The company, for its part, isn't abandoning medical supplies, but will instead link all material processes across all floors.

According to the head of the Vorarlberg-based company, this is the largest contract in its history. In order to continue to meet the demands of modern, cutting-edge medical care in the future, those responsible for the university hospital, located in the heart of the city center, recognized that having a modern and innovative infrastructure was becoming increasingly essential.

The complete structural renovation of the USZ is, as is well known, of great importance. The core of the project consists of two buildings designed by the architects Christ & Gantenbein, which will house the cardiovascular and emergency medical services and are scheduled to open in 2028. The new buildings feature state-of-the-art infrastructure and house the latest generation of medical technology.

In this context, the internal transport systems, which have already performed remarkably well in sometimes cramped conditions, cannot be left behind. In the future, a largely automated intralogistics system, from goods receipt to the operating room, will be the link between all service units and medical processes. True to the principle that for treatments

to provide the necessary material in the right form, at the right time and in the right place.

In the future, all medications will be delivered from a central medication distribution platform to all nursing and intensive care units, and materials required in the operating room will be assembled modularly in the warehouse and delivered directly to the operating rooms.

From the central kitchen in the basement, meals and food supplies are delivered directly to the wards and hospitality centers. A fully automated warehouse supplies spare parts – as needed – when medical equipment is reported defective.

In addition to logistics support, strict criteria had to be met in the international tender: cross-system compatibility, networking and transparency, scalability, space efficiency , and reasonable operating costs. To optimally meet such challenges, Servus typically starts such projects with a workshop. The objectives are first defined together with the client. With a logistics kit designed for virtually every eventuality, "Servus" can respond to individual needs and cover all areas of logistics.

For example, the MedARC, an intelligent transport robot specifically designed for hospitals, was developed. It operates fully automatically – based on the pull principle – and supplies all stations with materials in the required container formats just-in-time. According to the manufacturer, the system can be used both horizontally and vertically. For example, some of the USZ hospitals will use lifting stations up to 46 meters high.

Medical Logistics with huge potential

Hardly any other industry places such high demands on quality assurance as hospital and medical technology. After all, in cases of doubt, even the smallest deviations can mean the difference between life and death.

Servus's intralogistics expertise stems primarily from decades of experience with customized industrial solutions. However, this industry is not new territory, as Servus has had many customers in the medical technology sector for years. Leading international companies such as Hamilton and Röchling rely on it. Hospital logistics opens up a segment with enormous growth potential. Servus's brightest minds are already working on the development of innovative components and solutions. The headquarters in Dornbirn is currently undergoing significant expansion, and they are continuously looking for skilled workers to be prepared for future developments.

Ease of use, quick access to all goods, and full transparency of all processes and inventories are essential. When this is ensured, medical professionals can concentrate on their core tasks – direct contact with patients, operating rooms, intensive care, and general care.

Servus handles the storage, provision, and transport of the required items. The goods arrive at the right place just-in-time. The result: no waiting times and a fast response time. "The development of an innovative, cleanroom-compatible logistics system not only involved significant investment for us, but also a great deal of commitment and dedication. We are all the more pleased that our pioneering work in medical logistics and hospital management has paid off and that we were able to win the contract for the entire intralogistics system from one of Europe's most important hospitals," summarizes Servus Managing Director Christian Beer.

Visualization: Atelier Brunecky and ash

Transport robot MedARC

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