German pharmaceuticals, chemicals and life sciences group Merck KGaA is investing €250 million over three years in a new facility at Corsier-sur-Vevey, Switzerland, which will be dedicated to biotech development and manufacturing for clinical studies and will link research and manufacturing.

The Darmstadt-based group said the Merck Biotech Development Center, covering a space of 15,700 m2, “will help to sustainably secure capacity and high agility to deliver clinical trial material in a cost-effective way, contribute to accelerated development timelines of new biological entities and address the increasing manufacturing complexity of the next generations of biotech compounds.”

Expected to be fully operational by the end of 2022 following validation by regulatory authorities, Merck said the facility joining together a cross-functional team of around 2250 employees currently spread across different sites is being designed to conform to the highest quality, environment, health and safety standards as well as leveraging the latest in digital technology, including continuous manufacturing and laboratory automation.

In particular, the facility is planned to showcase Merck’s science and technology across its three business sectors, including Life Sciences’ process solutions for clinical manufacturing and pilot plant operations and Performance Materials’ eyrise dynamic liquid crystal windows as part of the highly efficient energy management of the building.

Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony, group CEO Stefan Oschmann said the investment reflects Merck’s commitment to speed up the availability of new medicines for patients in need and confirms the importance of Switzerland as its prime hub for biotech medicines.