Merck invests € 300+ M in new life science production site in Korea

Merck invests more than €300 million into a new Bioprocessing Production Centre in Daejeon, South Korea. The new site is the largest investment by the company’s Life Science business sector in Asia-Pacific to date and demonstrates its commitment to expanding its capacities in the fast-growing region.

The investment is expected to create approximately 300 additional jobs by the end of 2028. The facility will support biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies in process development, clinical research and commercial manufacturing of biologics.

Biologics are derived from large and complex biological compounds and include products like vaccines, cell and gene therapies, or protein-based therapies, such as monoclonal antibodies. They are one of the fastest-growing class of drugs.

MilliporeSigma’s new Bioprocessing Production Centre will provide essential biotech products such as dry powder cell culture media, process liquids, pre-GMP small-scale manufacturing and sterile sampling systems. Covering an area of 43,000 square meters, the facility will include advanced production capacities, a distribution centre and an automated warehouse.

The company’s new site in South Korea is part of a multi-year investment programme. This programme aims to increase the capacity and capabilities of its life science business sector to support the growing global demand for critical drugs and to make significant contributions to public health. Since 2020, the company has announced industrial capacity and capabilities expansion projects in life science throughout Europe, China, and the United States, of more than € 2 billion.