Merck, known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada, announced  the opening of a new, $1 billion, 225,000-square-foot facility dedicated to vaccine manufacturing at its Durham, North Carolina, site.

This expansion of our Durham plant is a crucial component of the more than $12 billion Merck has invested toward U.S. capital investment since 2018 focused on expanding domestic manufacturing and research and development capabilities and creating new jobs in the U.S., with another $8 billion of U.S. 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 U.S.," 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 center 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.

“This level of investment and commitment speaks so powerfully to the work we do here in Durham,” said Amanda Taylor, vice president and plant manager at the Merck Manufacturing Division site in Durham. “To see the pride and the energy of the people who work here and are helping drive this evolution in our capabilities is just phenomenal.”