Merck has opened a €300 million-plus bioprocessing production centre in Daejeon, South Korea, marking the company's largest-ever Life Science investment in the Asia-Pacific region and a major push to expand its regional manufacturing footprint.

 

The 44,500-square-metre facility will boost Merck's production capacity for critical materials and solutions used in the development and manufacture of biologic medicines, giving biopharmaceutical companies across Asia-Pacific closer access to essential supplies as they scale up production.

 

"Reliable access to critical materials is essential at every stage of biologics manufacturing,” said Jean-Charles Wirth, Member of the Executive Board of Merck, and CEO Life Science. 

 

“Daejeon brings advanced production closer to biopharma manufacturers across Asia-Pacific, giving them greater supply confidence, as they move from development to commercial scale. The center adds the regional capacity customers need and delivers the quality and consistency they expect from Merck.”

 

The new centre will manufacture and supply a range of bioprocessing products covering the entire production journey, from early-stage process development to commercial-scale manufacturing.

 

Its product portfolio includes dry powder and liquid cell culture media, pre-GMP small-scale custom products through imMEDIAte ADVANTAGE, process liquids, ready-to-use cleaning-in-place solutions and single-use sterile sampling solutions based on the NovaSeptum Sterile Sampling System.

 

The products are designed to help manufacturers accelerate development, scale up production, maintain controlled manufacturing environments and minimise contamination risks. Cell culture media and process liquids will be made using animal-component-free raw materials and manufactured in line with consistent global quality standards.

 

The investment is also expected to strengthen Daejeon's ambitions to emerge as a major global biotechnology hub.

 

“The completion of Merck’s Asia-Pacific Bioprocessing Production Center, a world-leading bioscience company, marks a historic turning point in Daejeon’s rise as a global bio hub—not just for Korea, but for the world." said Tae-Jeong Heo, Mayor of Daejeon. 

 

“We will provide our full support to ensure that Merck’s foundational technologies at the Daedeok Innopolis and the capabilities of the local community can be brought together seamlessly. We will focus the city’s resources on building a world-class global bio ecosystem through close collaboration among industry, academia, research institutions, and hospitals.”

 

Beyond manufacturing capacity, the facility incorporates an integrated digital ecosystem designed to automate data capture and enable end-to-end batch traceability. The system will enhance production transparency while supporting quality management and regulatory compliance.

 

Sustainability is another key feature of the new facility. Merck said the centre is designed to eliminate on-site fossil fuel use while improving energy and water efficiency through solar power, heat-pump technology, energy recovery systems in air handling units and rainwater reuse.

 

The Daejeon facility forms a central part of Merck's in-region-for-region strategy, aimed at bringing manufacturing capabilities and critical supplies closer to customers in key markets.

 

The investment builds on the company's recent expansion across its global network, including BioReliance® drug product testing operations in Darmstadt, Germany, and filtration manufacturing in Blarney, Ireland.

 

Through these investments, Merck is seeking to strengthen regional supply capabilities while maintaining consistent global quality standards and improving access to essential products and services for biopharmaceutical manufacturers.