US-based science and technology company, Merck has signed a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE), and Daejeon City, South Korea for a new Asia-Pacific Bioprocessing Centre, aimed at supporting the region's healthcare ecosystem. The planned bioprocessing facility would support commercial manufacturing for biotech and pharmaceutical customers across Asia-Pacific.

Matthias Heinzel, Member of the Executive Board of Merck and CEO, Life Science said, "The proposed facility would play a vital role in fulfilling demand in the Asia-Pacific region while representing an important hub for further biopharma industry development in South Korea."

"We expect this collaboration to serve as an opportunity for our pharmaceutical-bio sector to take a leap forward as the science and technology industry of South Korea," said Chang Yang Lee, Minister of Trade, Industry & Energy.

Merck also plans to work with the Daejeon government to support biotech companies based in the Daedeok Research Complex located in Daejeon, as well as expand the bio-research cooperation with leading Korean universities.