Merck is investing more than €300 million in a new research center at its global headquarters in Darmstadt, Germany.
In the Advanced Research Center, the Life Science business sector will research solutions for manufacturing antibodies, mRNA applications and additional products required for biotechnological production, among other things. As of the start of 2027, it will provide space for around 550 employees.
The new building is part of an investment program in the Darmstadt site: Merck will invest around €1.5 billion in total by 2025.
“With this strategic investment, we are strengthening the leading position of Merck in key technologies for the development and manufacture of novel medicines,” said Belén Garijo, Chair of the Executive Board and CEO of Merck.
“As a leading provider of life science technologies, we continue to invest in research and development ‘Made in Germany’. In doing so, we are enabling scientific progress for the benefit of millions of patients and customers around the world.”
The Advanced Research Center brings together research on key technologies of the Life Science business sector of Merck. These include raw materials and processes for researching and manufacturing antibodies, recombinant proteins and viral vectors. The company also researches cell culture media and pharmaceutical formulation and purification aids as well as digital reference materials.
In addition, the scientists are developing analytical chromatography further. This is a method for separating, identifying and quantifying chemical substances in a sample. Research along the mRNA value chain will also be based in the new center.
The Darmstadt site is one of the most important Merck centers for research and development in life science technologies. In the next ten years, approximately one fifth of the Life Science business sector’s sales with new products are estimated to come from here.
