Merck KGaA Adds New Packaging Center

On Oct. 17, 2018, Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany announced the opening of a new packaging center at the company’s headquarters in Darmstadt, Germany.

The company reports that the EUR 63-million (US$72-million) investment in the new packaging center is part of a larger EUR 1-billion (US$1.1-billion) investment aimed at updating the Darmstadt site into a global headquarters by 2020.

The new 15,000-m² (161,000-ft²) facility has eight fully automated packaging lines and robotized logistics with the capacity to process more than 210 million boxes of medicines annually, according to the company. The facility incorporates a range of new technologies, such as the anticounterfeiting tracking and trace systems and smart packaging, to ensure more production flexibility. Merck KGaA states that the center also complies with international standards in terms of quality, environment, health, and safety.

“Darmstadt is our prime hub for the manufacturing of medicines, and it plays a key role in our plans for future growth,” said Stefan Oschmann chairman of the executive board and CEO of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, in a company press release. “This latest investment in a new state-of-the-art packaging center reflects our commitment to our headquarters and is a compelling example of how we use the latest technological advances to always better serve our patients.” 

Source: Merck KGaA