MilliporeSigma, the US and Canada Life Science business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, has opened a new bioprocessing production center in Daejeon, South Korea, following an investment of more than $350 million. The facility represents the company’s largest Life Science investment in the Asia-Pacific region to date and is designed to expand regional manufacturing capacity for materials used in the development and production of biologic medicines.

Covering approximately 44,500 square meters, the center will supply products for biopharmaceutical manufacturing, serving customers from early process development through commercial-scale production. The investment supports the company’s strategy of manufacturing products closer to the markets where they are used, with the aim of strengthening supply reliability and improving access to critical materials for biopharma manufacturers across Asia-Pacific.

The facility will manufacture cell culture media in dry powder and liquid formats, including customized, pre-GMP small-scale media through the company’s imMEDIAte ADVANTAGE offering. Other products will include process liquids, ready-to-use cleaning-in-place (CIP) solutions, and single-use sterile sampling solutions based on the NovaSeptum Sterile Sampling System.

These products support several stages of biopharmaceutical production, from developing and optimizing manufacturing processes to scaling up operations. Cell culture media provides the environment needed for cells to grow during the production of biologics, while process liquids and CIP solutions support manufacturing operations and equipment cleaning. Sterile sampling systems allow manufacturers to collect process samples while helping maintain controlled production conditions and reduce contamination risks.

MilliporeSigma says cell culture media and process liquids manufactured at the Daejeon site will use animal-component-free raw materials and follow consistent global quality standards. The facility is intended to help customers maintain product quality and process consistency as they advance from development to commercial manufacturing.

Digital infrastructure is another central feature of the new center. Integrated systems will support automated data capture and end-to-end batch traceability, improving visibility into manufacturing activities and supporting quality management and regulatory compliance. These capabilities are increasingly important in biopharmaceutical production, where manufacturers must maintain detailed records of processes and materials throughout production.

“Reliable access to critical materials is essential at every stage of biologics manufacturing,” says Jean-Charles Wirth, member of the Executive Board and CEO of Life Science at Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany. He said the Daejeon center brings advanced production closer to biopharmaceutical manufacturers and provides regional capacity to support companies as they progress from development to commercial-scale production.

The new facility also builds on investments elsewhere in the company’s global network, including BioReliance drug product testing in Darmstadt, Germany, and filtration manufacturing in Blarney, Ireland. MilliporeSigma plans to use its network of regional manufacturing sites to bring products and services closer to customers while maintaining consistent quality standards across locations.

For more information, visit www.emdgroup.com.