Merck invested 430 billion won in establishing an Asia Pacific production base for key raw materials for the bio industry in Korea.

On the 29th, Merck held a groundbreaking ceremony for a bioprocess raw materials production plant within the Daejeon International Science Business Belt.

The event was attended by Matthias Heinzel, CEO of Merck Life Science in Germany, Kim Woo-gyu, CEO of Merck Korea, Jeong In-gyo, Director-General for Trade Negotiations at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, Lee Jang-woo, Mayor of Daejeon, and Georg Schmidt, German Ambassador to Korea.

Founded in 1668, Merck is a global leader in innovation in healthcare, life sciences, and electronics for over 350 years. Since entering Korea in 1989, it has operated a total of 13 production and research facilities in Pyeongtaek, Anseong, and Incheon, and employs a total of 1,730 people.

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, Daejeon City, and Merck signed a memorandum of understanding for investment cooperation in bioprocess raw materials production facilities in May of last year, and the continuous efforts to resolve investment obstacles and close support from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and Daejeon City have led to the start of construction of Merck's new plant.

Merck will invest KRW 430 billion in building a new plant and, starting in 2026 when the plant is completed, will supply essential raw materials for biopharmaceutical manufacturing processes, such as dry powder cell culture media, to domestic demand companies as well as biopharmaceutical manufacturers in the Asia Pacific region. The company also plans to hire more than 300 new employees in the Daejeon area in the future.

In his congratulatory speech that day, Jeong In-gyo, Director-General for Trade Negotiation at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, said, “This investment by Merck is expected to not only secure a stable domestic supply chain for bioprocess raw materials and expand exports, but also contribute to revitalizing the local economy by creating quality jobs in the non-metropolitan Daejeon region. In the future, the government will continue to create an excellent investment environment so that global cutting-edge companies, including Merck, can invest more.”