Merck KGaA (Merck) has announced an investment of more than €300m ($320.8m) in a new Life Science Research Center at its global headquarters in Darmstadt, Germany.

Set to open in 2027, the centre will be a hub for developing biopharmaceuticals, including antibodies and messenger ribonucleic acid applications.

The investment is part of Merck's broader €1.5bn commitment to the Darmstadt site by 2025.

Covering an area of 18,000m², the Advanced Research Center will consolidate efforts on key life science technologies such as the production of antibodies, recombinant proteins, and viral vectors.

It allows collaboration across departments of the company in an open, modern work environment.

The facility will also focus on the advancement of cell culture media, pharmaceutical formulation, purification aids, and analytical chromatography.

Merck said the new centre will support both European and global customers in addressing significant medical challenges.

Merck CEO and executive board chair Belén Garijo said: “With this strategic investment, we are strengthening the leading position of Merck in key technologies for the development and manufacture of novel medicines.

“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 Darmstadt site is poised to generate approximately one-fifth of the life sciences business sector's sales from new products over the next decade.

During the research centre cornerstone laying ceremony, German Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz said: “Investments such as those made by Merck here at its headquarters in Darmstadt make tremendous economic, medical and scientific sense.

“They are a tribute to Germany as a leading pharmaceutical, industrial and research location and reflect the strength of the life sciences.”