KNAPP redefines pharma fulfilment at API Marsden Park

What does future-ready pharmaceutical fulfilment look like? On Day 3 of CeMAT Australia 2025, 15 senior leaders from across logistics, healthcare, and retail toured Australian Pharmaceutical Industries’ (API) Marsden Park facility – an advanced automated site built in partnership with KNAPP two years ago.

Designed to service Priceline Pharmacy, Soul Pattinson, Pharmacist Advice and independent pharmacies nationwide, the Marsden Park site processes up to one million units and 150,000 order lines per day across 25,000 SKUs. At its core is KNAPP’s OSR Shuttle, working in sync with high speed autopickers, which are part of a whole central belt system, vision-based scanning and integrated control software. Together, they enable fast, accurate, and compliant distribution at scale. “What you’re seeing here isn’t a bolt-on,” says Todd Armstead, API Head of Network Development. “It’s a deeply integrated system that’s changed how we operate, deliver, and grow. We’re not just replicating—we’re scaling smarter,” says Todd. “KNAPP continues to be a trusted partner in that journey. The move to bring KNAPP into our Brisbane DC reflects our long-term confidence in the partnership and our shared vision for scalable, intelligent automation across the country.”

“What makes this next phase exciting is that we’re no longer just implementing technology – we’re leveraging an evolving platform that we helped design and prove out together at Marsden Park,” adds Todd. “But where it gets even more interesting is how our collaboration is shifting from implementation to co-innovation. We’re already working with KNAPP on initiatives like predictive maintenance, data-led optimization, and enhanced WMS-WCS integration. Their global experience, especially in healthcare and pharma, gives us access to a knowledge base and technology roadmap that we wouldn’t be able to build alone.”

This approach supports unified training, national service consistency, and long-term adaptability as API expands its pharmacy network and direct-to-consumer models.

A future-focused fulfilment platform

With Sydney operations live for 2.5 years and Brisbane now too, API’s fulfilment network is purpose-built for resilience, accuracy, and scale. The Marsden Park site demonstrates:

• Seamless integration of automation, software, and compliance
• Flexibility to adapt to public health surges and demand shifts
• A people-led model enhanced by data and control
• A replicable national framework for pharmaceutical distribution

For businesses facing complex fulfilment demands, API’s Marsden Park site shows what’s possible when technology and partnership align.

“KNAPP provides the tools but the real transformation happens when a business takes ownership of the journey,” says Michael Kemeny, KNAPP Australia Managing Director. “The shift to automation isn’t just technical – it’s cultural. Marsden Park shows what’s possible when a company embraces that mindset and uses automation at its full potential.”

KNAPP Australia: A decade of growth and innovation

KNAPP Australia has grown from a startup team into a regional automation leader, delivering state-of-the-art solutions across healthcare, retail, food, and manufacturing. Over the past decade, the company has supported some of the country’s most complex fulfillment and production facilities—blending global innovation with local expertise. KNAPP Australia’s success lies in its commitment to long-term partnerships, exceptional service, and future-focused design. As part of the KNAPP Group, headquartered in Austria, the company draws on over 70 years of global innovation and expertise, delivering all-in-one solutions for automation and digitalisation—from production and distribution to the point of sale. From intelligent robotics to scalable software platforms, KNAPP continues to shape the future of intralogistics—one smart solution at a time.

Press contact

Ruza Zivkusic

Marketing Manager, KNAPP Australia

+61466 500 140

ruza.zivkusic@knapp.com