Merck Invests More Than € 130 Million to Strengthen Manufacturing Capabilities in Molsheim, France

News Release

• Increases manufacturing capacity for the Mobius^® single-use portfolio
• Creates more than 800 jobs by the end of 2028
• Investment further strengthens Merck's "Big 3," the key drivers for increasing Group sales to approximately € 25 billion by 2025
• Supports Life Science’s strategy to invest in products and technologies across its portfolio key to manufacturing novel therapies and vaccines

Darmstadt, Germany, September 8, 2022 – Merck, a leading science and technology company, strengthens its manufacturing capabilities for single-use assemblies, a key technology for the production of Covid-19 vaccines and other lifesaving therapies, by investing more than € 130 million in Molsheim, France. The investment is the largest ever in the 50-year history of the site and will create more than 800 jobs by the end of 2028.

“Merck is determined to provide patients in Europe and worldwide with reliable access to vaccines and life-saving therapies,” said Belén Garijo, Chair of the Executive Board and CEO of Merck. “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.”

“France is central to our strategy to drive long-term growth and expand our global leadership position in Life Science,” said Matthias Heinzel, Member of the Executive Board of Merck and CEO 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.”

The expansion will further increase capacity for the manufacturing of single-use assemblies belonging to the Mobius® portfolio. The 3,500-square-meter 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. In 2021, Merck 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, USA, and Wuxi, China.

The manufacturing of single-use assemblies is part of the Process Solutions business, a global provider of products to the biopharmaceutical industry, and one of Merck's “Big 3” growth drivers. The company aims to increase its Group sales to approximately € 25 billion by 2025. To achieve its growth targets, Merck plans to increase its total investments between 2021 and 2025 significantly compared with the period from 2016 to 2020.

Over the next five years, Merck will implement investment programs worldwide. Target countries include Germany, France, Switzerland, Ireland, China, and the USA. All expansion projects include clear targets for water consumption, waste management, and energy efficiency to support Merck in meeting its goal to be climate neutral by 2040, in line with its sustainability strategy.

Recently, Merck announced expansion projects in its Life Science business sector in Verona, Wisconsin, USA; Cork, Ireland; Wuxi, China; Darmstadt, Germany; Buchs, Switzerland; Carlsbad, California, USA; Jaffrey, New Hampshire, USA; and Danvers, Massachusetts, USA. These expansions are part of an ambitious, multi-year program to increase the industrial capacity and capabilities of Merck’s Life Science business sector to support the growing global demand for lifesaving medications and to make significant contributions to public health.