An investment of €130 million ($130 million) has been invested in Molsheim, France to strengthen manufacturing capabilities for single-use assemblies – a key technology for the production of Covid-19 vaccines and other life-saving therapies.
The investment was made by MilliporeSigma, the U.S. and Canada Life Science business of Merck KGaA.
It is the largest ever investment in the 50-year history of the site and will create more than 800 jobs by the end of 2028.
Reliable access to vaccines
Belén Garijo, CEO of Merck KGaA, said: “Merck is determined to provide patients in Europe and worldwide with reliable access to vaccines and life-saving therapies.
“This investment in France is an integral component of our plans to expand our global manufacturing footprint and deliver superior customer value across the globe.”
The MilliporeSigma expansion will further increase capacity for the manufacturing of single-use assemblies belonging to the Mobius portfolio.
The 37,000-square-feet ISO7 clean rooms, administrative building and new logistics warehouse are planned to be operational by the end of 2024, and will gradually ramp up to full production through 2028.
Production sites
In 2021, the Life Science business had already added a single-use assembly production unit for €25 million. Molsheim is the first site in Europe where the company manufactures the product. Further production sites are located in Danvers, Massachusetts, in the U.S., and Wuxi, China.
Matthias Heinzel, board member at Merck KGaA, said: “France is central to our strategy to drive long-term growth and expand our global leadership position in Life Science.
“In recent years, many biopharmaceutical manufacturers have turned to single-use technologies for their flexibility, cost savings, speed, and reduced contamination risk, leading to double-digit market growth for this segment.
“The Covid-19 pandemic has reinforced this trend. The investment will accelerate the delivery of critical products and technologies our customers need to bring breakthrough treatments to patients in need around the world.”