Merck, a leading science and technology company, is to build a new $115 million (€104m) campus in Burlington, Massachusetts that will serve as a major hub for the company's North American life science business.
The 280,000 ft2 (approximately 26,000 m2) facility will include a customer collaboration laboratory and training centre as well as office space.
'This new and more expansive Merck campus gives us a unique, multi-use life science hub in the US — one that provides our employees and customers with a sustainable and collaborative working environment,' said Udit Batra, Member of the Merck Executive Board and CEO, Life Science.
'We have a long history in Massachusetts, and as a global leader in life science, we are committed to strengthening our presence in one of the most important science and technology hubs in the world.'
The campus will serve as a premier global customer destination, housing both a customer service and call centre and an M Lab Collaboration Centre — a state-of-the-art, shared, exploratory environment where the company’s scientists and engineers will work together with customers to help solve their toughest life science challenges.
Formerly known as biomanufacturing science training centres, the new M Lab Collaboration Centres will provide a simulated manufacturing environment for experiments, troubleshooting and problem solving, in a non-GMP setting, that fosters education and full end-to-end process development support. Customers will participate in product demonstrations, hands-on training and proof-of-concept work, as well as apply best practices and new approaches to develop, optimise and scale-up processes and simplify global technology transfer.
'These centres have been an important resource for our customers and the biopharma industry for more than two decades,' said Udit Batra, Member of the Merck Executive Board and CEO, Life Science. 'Now reimagined and reengineered as M Lab Collaboration Centres, we have taken our industry-leading concept to the next level. We are creating unique and inspiring settings where customers can explore new ways to increase productivity and improve processes in close collaboration with our team of experts.'
Merck unveiled its first remodelled centre in Tokyo, Japan in June. The network, established in 1995, will include locations in Brazil, China, France, India, Singapore, South Korea, as well as Burlington, with formal relaunch of centres around the world taking place throughout the remainder of 2016 and 2017.
The new enhanced M Lab centre in Burlington, Massachusetts will replace the flagship M Lab at the company’s Billerica, Massachusetts facility.
Merck’s 850 Billerica-based life science employees will relocate to the new campus when construction is complete in the second half of 2017.
The new building will be LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified. This rating system is the most widely used third-party verification for green construction, certifying buildings that promote sustainability, resource conservation and human health.
The five-storey, lease-held single-tenant building is being built by The Gutierrez Company. The project includes an opportunity to expand with an additional 70,000 ft2.
Merck will maintain its other North American life science hub in St Louis, Missouri.