Newly inaugurated Merck M Lab™ collaboration centre in the Songdo district of Incheon, Korea, one of the fastest growing biotech hubs in Asia.
INCHEON, SOUTH KOREA: Merck inaugurated the M Lab™ collaboration centre in the Songdo district of Incheon, Korea, one of the fastest growing biotech hubs in Asia. Biopharmaceutical manufacturers will be able to explore new ways to increase productivity, improve processes and mitigate risks. The new centre will include a simulated manufacturing environment and offer full end-to-end process development support.
The inauguration ceremony was attended by Stephan Auer (German ambassador), prof Dr Gerhard Sabathil (ambassador & head of delegation of the European Union to the Republic of Korea), Seung Tack Park (director general for investment policy, ministry of trade, industry and energy), Dr Jeong Bok Yoo (mayor of Incheon Metropolitan City), Young Geun Lee (commissioner, Incheon City government), Dr Frank Stangenberg-Haverkamp (chairman, executive board and the family board, E Merck KG) and Dr Batra.
“With a rapidly growing biopharmaceutical industry in Korea and demand for novel and cost effective therapies worldwide, there is a clear need for innovative concepts like our M Lab collaboration centres,” said Udit Batra, member of the Merck executive board and CEO, life science. “At our new centre, customers will get support to develop processes for manufacturing drugs faster, safer and more effectively than ever before.”
1,865 square metre of space and more than ten highly trained scientists and engineers, the M Lab™ Collaboration Center will serve local biopharma manufacturers, spanning the spectrum from multinational organizations like Samsung Biologics to emerging companies developing biologics to treat rare diseases or different types of cancer.
“Merck’s decision to invest in Songdo, fast growing as world largest biologics manufacturing hub with 520 KL of plant capacity by 2018, represents a significant milestone in the development of the Songdo Bio Cluster,” said T H Kim, CEO, Samsung BioLogics.
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