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Bayer invests 130 million EUR in new production facility for innovative parenteral products

Bayer has added a brand new manufacturing facility to its global supply chain network. The new production plant was inaugurated at the company’s global pharmaceutical headquarters in Berlin, Germany. The facility features state-of-the-art technology, innovative production, and automated processes. The inauguration of the facility represents a key milestone in realizing Bayer's global manufacturing strategy for pharmaceutical liquid dosage forms, such as injection and infusion solutions. “It is of crucial importance that Germany and Europe pursue a clear strategy of a future-oriented innovation policy. Bayer is investing here in research and production to secure future business while strengthening the innovative power in the region,” said Stefan Oelrich, Member of the Board of Bayer AG and Head of its Pharmaceuticals Division The project is part of a billion-dollar investment program through which Bayer AG strengthens its global pharmaceutical production network and its own innovative capabilities. “It is great to see a German company like Bayer AG driving innovation in Berlin. This investment not only demonstrates loyalty to the location but also strengthens our city as a renowned health metropolis. It sends a clear signal from the economic and healthcare hub of Berlin. With the commissioning of the new pharmaceutical production facility, the commitment to advanced technologies and medical research is further expanded. The successful development of the healthcare industry creates more jobs and benefits our metropolitan region as a whole,” said Kai Wegner, the Governing Mayor of Berlin. Bayer's new production facility is based on an innovative platform technology that covers a wide range of chemically and biologically based parenteral products. The highly digitized manufacturing process enables safe, fast, and sterile formulation, filling, and freeze-drying of pharmaceuticals. The highly automated robot-based filling machine combines efficient and reliable production of medications, aiming to bring them from concept to market and ultimately to the patients even faster. The facility serves critical manufacturing areas with high medical demand, such as products in the field of ophthalmology. It is intended to supply markets in the USA, Europe, and China in the future. “The new facility is a significant milestone for our production network. It ensures that high-quality drug forms are available in sufficient quantities, that supply chains become more reliable and efficient and that patients around the world have greater security of supply,” said Holger Weintritt, Member of the Executive Committee Pharmaceuticals and Head of Product Supply at the Pharmaceuticals Division of Bayer AG. “The innovative design of the production enables maximum flexibility for the formulation and filling of aseptic products.” The facility is located in Germany at Bayer's global pharmaceutical headquarters in Berlin, which is a key global production site for the company and is evolving into a global “Center of Excellence for Parenterals”. The Berlin production site plays a crucial role in the manufacturing and packaging of liquid and solid pharmaceuticals to ensure global market supply.

Entobel opens Asia’s largest insect protein production plant, creating 150 jobs

Vietnam’s Entobel, a global leader in the production of functional insect protein for animal and plant nutrition, today celebrated the opening of its new black soldier fly (“BSF”) production plant, the largest of its kind in Asia. “Today marks a major milestone in our journey to transform the insect protein landscape and supply sustainable feed ingredients to the rapidly growing aquaculture and pet food industries,” said Alexandre de Caters and Gaëtan Crielaard, co-founders and co-CEOs of Entobel. Entobel’s state-of-the-art facility was constructed in an industry record time of 12 months and is currently the world’s most CAPEX-efficient BSF production facility. The facility features 50 levels of vertical rearing, incorporating automation via robotics, cutting-edge sensors and data analytics that enhance productivity. Leveraging a US$33 million Series B funding round raised in 2022 and backed by Mekong Capital, Dragon Capital and The International Finance Corporation (IFC), the Vung Tau facility marks Entobel’s second industrial-scale production facility in Vietnam and will have an annual production capacity of 10,000 MT of insect protein. The facility will serve as an economic and community anchor, creating 150 jobs in manufacturing and operations. “The Entobel team has demonstrated capital allocation efficiency and execution excellence through the successful construction of two industrial-scale facilities in the last four years. Successful commissioning of the Vung Tau plant, one of the largest globally as measured by insect protein production capacity, has de-risked the operational and technological aspects of the business model, enabling the plant to serve as a blueprint for Entobel’s rapid regional expansion,” said Sandy Singh Sandhu, CFO of Entobel. Entobel has proven that it is possible and profitable to meet the growing global demand for sustainable feed ingredients.

Complete Genomics opens $3.2 million manufacturing facility in US

Complete Genomics, a pioneering genomic sequencing company, announced plans for the opening of a $3.2 million manufacturing facility within its headquarters in San Jose, California. The facility, scheduled to open in March 2024, will give Complete Genomics customers access to a U.S.-based supply chain translating into faster delivery times for its next generation sequencing products. The new facility will house Complete Genomics' research and development, engineering and ISO (International Organization for Standardization) manufacturing operations. "In addition to giving Complete Genomics customers access to our first U.S.-based supply chain, the new manufacturing facility will be supported by local vendors and new hires in the form of operations and engineering staff to run it," said Dr. Radoje (Rade) Drmanac, Co-Founder and Chief Scientific Officer of Complete Genomics. Complete Genomics was established in 2005 in a 10,500 square foot facility in Sunnyvale, California. In 2008, the company added a 66,000 square foot Mountain View site. In May 2017, Complete Genomics moved to its current 78,979 square foot location in San Jose, which also includes a warehousing facility. Since the U.S. commercial launch of its DNBSEQ ™ sequencing product line in August 2022, Complete Genomics has announced integration partnerships with Integrated DNA Technologies and Basepair and was recognized by the 2023 R&D 100 Awards in the analytical testing category for its ultra-high throughput sequencer aimed at making whole genome sequencing (WGS) affordable for every lab. The DNBSEQ T20X2RS* was recently named "Next Generation Sequencing Solution of the Year" by the 2023 BioTech Breakthrough Awards.

Nissin Foods announces expansion in US, Bringing hundreds of new jobs

Nissin Foods USA, the creator of such iconic brands as Top Ramen® and Cup Noodles®, announced a major investment of $228 million to develop a third U.S. manufacturing facility in Greenville County, South Carolina. This investment will significantly increase the company's manufacturing capabilities and advance its innovation pipeline to further meet consumer demand for its products. "For more than 65 years, our instant ramen products and brands have cultivated a loyal consumer base, which has fueled our relentless growth in the market," said Michael Price, CEO and President, Nissin Foods USA. "With the southeastern portion of the United States being a priority market for Nissin Foods, Greenville's geographic accessibility, talented labor market, and competitive cost of living makes it an ideal location for our new plant." With manufacturing plants in Gardena, California and Lancaster, Pennsylvania, the new facility will produce a range of Nissin Foods' products across its brand portfolio, including Top Ramen, Cup Noodles, Hot & Spicy FIRE WOK and more, with capacity for further expansion as needed. The 640,640 square foot facility will also feature solar panels, EV charging stations and electric forklifts, furthering the Nissin Foods' commitment to minimize CO2 emissions by 30% by 2030 and reach carbon neutrality by 2050 as part of the company's long term environmental strategy. "Opening a third facility marks a critical turning point for Nissin Foods, solidifying our leadership position in the U.S. market as we continue to grow the instant ramen category," said Price. The company recently reported four consecutive quarters of high double-digit growth driven by its premium product innovations, with a 27% increase in sales at the end of its first quarter in 2023 compared to the same time in 2022. To better support demand for its products, the Greenville facility is part of the company's larger business plan following a recent multi-million dollar investment in its Lancaster plant, increasing overall capacity. Nissin Foods' new facility will bring hundreds of new jobs to the Greenville County community. Construction of the facility will begin in December 2023, with operations planned to start in August 2025.

Arcadia Cold opens a new Cold Storage Facility

Arcadia Cold Storage & Logistics celebrated the grand opening of their newest highly anticipated state-of-the-art Atlanta Cold Storage Facility. The Atlanta facility is located in Union City, GA, with immediate access to I-85, I-285 and I-20. Due to its strategic location, this facility can service nearly 20% of the US population within a day's drive. This fully racked, brand-new facility is fully operational and is designed to handle both frozen and chilled temperatures from -20 to 38 ̊F. Arcadia Cold's Atlanta facility is over 300,000 SF and can support storage of over 44,000 pallets. This marks the Company's third facility grand opening since the start of October. Arcadia's quickly growing national cold storage network has now celebrated the openings of their Fort Worth facility, their Phoenix facility, and now their Atlanta Facility. "This is Arcadia's third grand opening of a new facility in two months," said Arcadia Cold CEO Chris Hughes. "The Atlanta facility brings us one step closer to building out a national network that offers a new level of tangible expertise and high-end customer care to our customers. I couldn't be prouder of the Team's ability to successfully plan, launch and operate all of these facilities in such a compressed timeframe – it's truly unprecedented."

Heifer International and Mastercard Foundation partner to expand employment in agriculture

Heifer International and the Mastercard Foundation will extend their collaboration in a new partnership to expand access to agribusiness opportunities for over 250,000 young people in Uganda. The Stimulating Agriculture for Youth Employment (SAYE) project, led by Heifer International and local partners, will run from 2023 to 2029 in the Busoga sub-region of Eastern Uganda. The project aims to empower young people aged 16 to 35 by improving skills, expanding market access and offering inclusive financing in key sectors including poultry, horticulture, oilseed, dairy and beef value chains. Young women will make up 70 per cent of participants, while three per cent will be young persons with disabilities. “Our goal is to transform the market ecosystem in Busoga in a way that drives inclusion and economic resilience for the many young people who currently have trouble securing dignified and fulfilling work,” said Surita Sandosham, Heifer International President and CEO. The $48 million SAYE project will build on the work of Heifer International’s East Africa Youth Inclusion Program (EAYIP), which was also in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, and created 33,000 new jobs for more than 25,000 young people between 2016 and 2022. EAYIP leveraged an agri-hub model to boost young people’s access to technical, business and financial products and services. Under SAYE, Heifer will lead the formation and strengthening of youth- and farmer-led agri-hubs, while local partners will focus on business incubation, skills training, promoting micro, small and medium enterprises, and improving access to financial services. The SAYE project will roll out in 11 districts of the Busoga sub-region: Jinja, Mayuge, Iganga, Kamuli, Kaliro, Namutumba, Bugweri, Luka, Buyende, Bugiri, Namayengo. The high rates of poverty in these districts partly stem from an overreliance on low-value crops like sugar cane and limited opportunities for income generation. SAYE is targeting sectors with low entry barriers for young people and high market potential, aiming to boost local income opportunities.

Lilly to expand injectable manufacturing capacity, creates up to 1000 future-oriented jobs

Eli Lilly and Company announced plans to construct a new $2.5 billion high-tech manufacturing site in Alzey, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. This new facility will further expand the company's global parenteral (injectable) product and device manufacturing network and support an increased demand for Lilly's medicines, including its diabetes and obesity portfolio. The company has launched 21 treatments since 2014 and plans to launch several more in the coming years. "Every investment into our manufacturing capacity around the world is a renewed commitment to patients today – and to those who may need our medicines tomorrow," said Edgardo Hernandez, executive vice president and president, Lilly manufacturing operations. "This state-of-the-art parenteral site with the latest technology will enable us to continue to deliver medicines with safety first and quality always around the world." With extensive experience across the pharmaceutical industry, Germany's workforce will play a vital role in bolstering Lilly's incretin supply when the new site is operational beginning in 2027. The site in Alzey will employ up to 1,000 highly skilled workers such as engineers, operators and scientists, who will leverage state-of-the-art technology, including automation and high-speed manufacturing lines, to produce life-changing medicines. In addition, an estimated 1,900 jobs will be created during construction, which is scheduled to begin in 2024. Lilly's investment in Alzey is contingent upon finalization of government permitting and local approvals. "The decision to locate here is good news for Germany as a business location," said Dr. Robert Habeck, vice chancellor and federal minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Action. "It creates new and future-oriented jobs, shows the confidence of companies in the attractiveness of Germany as a pharmaceutical and industrial location and helps to improve healthcare for our citizens. The new location will make an important contribution to industrial value creation in Germany with high-tech production facilities and research and development." Lilly has announced investments of more than $11 billion in its global manufacturing footprint in the past three years to help ensure the safe and reliable supply of Lilly's innovative medicines. The company continues to invest in the expansion of its global manufacturing to address the growth expected from potential new medicines to treat diabetes and obesity, Alzheimer's disease, cancer and autoimmune conditions. "As we look to usher in the next generation of medicines, we're looking for people and partners who share our passion for improving health outcomes," said Ilya Yuffa, executive vice president and president, Lilly International. "With this new investment, we hope to spark a new era of collaboration and innovation in Germany and the European Union defined by our shared purpose to find lasting solutions for patients." "This investment strengthens the Federal Government in its efforts to make Germany more attractive again as a pharmaceutical location," added Prof. Dr. Karl Lauterbach, federal minister of health. "It shows good innovative products can be reliably developed and produced in Germany. But we will continue to improve the framework conditions for research and production. This will ensure that patients have rapid access to new treatment options and make us more independent from fragile supply chains. Europe needs a strong pharmaceutical industry and research – not least for good and secure healthcare. Germany wants to provide new stimuli here."

Kalsec opens SPICE Lab in Netherlands

Kalsec Inc. is expanding its existing footprint on the European continent with the opening of its Savoury Product Innovation Centre of Excellence (SPICE Lab) in Wageningen, Netherlands. Kalsec is a natural ingredient solutions provider for the food and beverage industry, with global headquarters in Kalamazoo, Michigan. This new facility demonstrates Kalsec’s leadership in developing taste and sensory solutions derived from nature, with an emphasis on sauces, dressings and condiments applications. “We chose to locate our new SPICE Lab in the heart of the Wageningen Food Valley to strengthen our position in the region and reinforce our commitment to our European customers,” said Julie Heine, Kalsec’s President and Chief Commercial Officer. “We are excited to tap into the abundance of agrifood innovation clustered at and around Wageningen University & Research.” Kalsec has served food manufacturing customers in Europe for nearly 30 years and has a regional headquarters located in the United Kingdom. The company worked in cooperation with Oost NL, the East Netherlands Development Agency; Foodvalley NL as a network partner for practical valorisation; and world-renowned University and Research institution WUR to establish Kalsec operations in Wageningen.

Fapon Inaugurates State-of-the-Art R&D Center in US

Fapon, a global leading life sciences organization, is thrilled to announce the grand opening of its US-based Research and Development (R&D) Center, strategically located in Lexington, Massachusetts. This Center represents Fapon's unwavering commitment to advancing healthcare technologies and will further integrate the company into the local biotechnology ecosystem to accelerate growth. The R&D Center will focus on advancing molecular diagnostic technologies and novel therapeutic platforms. Situated at the heart of the burgeoning biotechnology and pharmaceutical hub in Greater Boston, the new facility represents a pivotal milestone in Fapon's global discovery engine. It will serve as a strategic R&D center, uniting dedicated R&D, commercial, and corporate colleagues under one roof. "In this Fapon Boston R&D center, we have created a hub for groundbreaking research, a sanctuary for the pursuit of knowledge, and a beacon of hope of molecular diagnosis and therapeutics for the future. This site affirms our commitment to advancing the frontiers of science and improving the lives of people around the world," said Nick Guan, Vice President of Fapon Life Sciences, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Fapon. This purpose-built facility boasts spacious laboratories and offices, equipped with cutting-edge technology to facilitate innovation, incubation, and excellence. Furthermore, the strategic location near renowned academic, pharmaceutical, and biotechnology organizations strengthens prospects for collaboration to foster a culture of innovation. Alex Wesselhoeft, Founder of Fapon's RNA technology incubation program, commented: "Innovative medical research requires significant operational, scientific, and financing support for successful execution. This incubator space will enable that risky first step on the path to delivering new medicines to patients." Building on Fapon's long-standing commitment to innovation, the Company continuously invests in advanced technologies for its products and services to deliver value to customers and patients globally.

Ascential Technologies announces opening of new manufacturing facility, creating 150 jobs

To help customers revitalize global supply chains through reshoring, Ascential Technologies announced an expansion of its capabilities and domestic manufacturing footprint with the opening of a state-of-the-art, 100,000-square-foot facility in Blaine, Minnesota. The company's highly innovative automation solutions are the driving force that makes reshoring manufacturing from overseas locations a financially viable option for manufacturers in Minnesota and beyond. The new Ascential Medical & Life Sciences facility employs 150 people and is equipped with world-class machinery, integrating the latest advancements in automation technology to facilitate the production of medical and life sciences products and devices. "As healthcare demand for advanced medical and life sciences products continues to rise, we recognize the importance of bolstering domestic manufacturing capabilities," said Scott Watts, president of Ascential Medical & Life Sciences. "The opening of our world-class facility reaffirms our commitment to innovation, growth, and community development. We enable businesses to repatriate manufacturing capabilities, leading to the creation of jobs, economic revitalization, and a resurgence of American manufacturing." The opening of the Blaine facility follows a recent White House designation of Minnesota as a MedTech Hub. Led by the Minneapolis Saint Paul Economic Development Partnership, or Greater MSP, this recognition propels Minnesota onto the global stage as a hub for Smart MedTech. The goal of the MedTechHub is to "create a medical device ecosystem that is even more connected, more strategic, and smarter by incorporating cutting-edge technologies, such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, and data science." "Companies like Ascential Technologies help distinguish our region as a global med-tech hotspot," said Peter Frosch, president and CEO of the Greater MSP Partnership. "Today we celebrate Ascential Technologies' investment in Minnesota and commitment to our region's growth in next-generation medical device technologies."