Merck, known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada, has announced the opening of a new, $1 billion, 225,000-square-foot facility dedicated to vaccine manufacturing at its Durham, North Carolina site in the US.
This expansion of the Durham plant is a crucial component of the more than $12 billion Merck has invested toward US capital investment since 2018 focused on expanding domestic manufacturing and research and development capabilities and creating new jobs in the US, with another $8 billion of US capital investment expected by 2028.
"Expanding our state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Durham marks a significant milestone in our efforts to strengthen our production and manufacturing capabilities in the US," said Sanat Chattopadhyay, executive vice president and president, Merck Manufacturing Division. "The cutting-edge technologies employed here empower our workforce and underscore our leadership in innovation to support patients everywhere."
The state-of-the-art manufacturing facility leverages best practices and learnings from across the Merck Manufacturing Division network as well as new technical and digital capabilities including data analytics, generative AI, 3D printing and a training centre equipped with a digital twin – a virtual model of the shop floor manufacturing process systems – to accelerate new employee training and simulate process changes before they are implemented.
