This move comes as part of the company’s ongoing efforts to meet increasing worldwide demand for biosafety testing, a critical procedure in drug development and manufacturing, ensuring drugs are safe, effective, and in compliance with regulatory requirements.

The new investment will create around 500 jobs, increasing Merck’s workforce in Scotland to over 1,200.

A significant portion of the investment is dedicated to constructing a new 1,200-square-meter facility in Glasgow. This facility will focus on molecular biology and sequencing services. Meanwhile, Merck will expand its testing capacity in existing buildings, developing biosafety testing, analytical development, and viral clearance suites.

The Scottish expansion follows similar Merck initiatives in Rockville, Maryland, USA, and Shanghai, China. The move reflects the consistent strong double-digit growth of Merck’s Scottish biosafety testing services over several years.

Dirk Lange, head of life science services, Merck Life Science, said: “We remain committed to ensuring the safety of the world’s medicines through our state-of-the-art testing solutions for our customers around the world that drive new treatments.

“Since mid-2022, we have announced investments of more than €350m (c.£300m) in our global testing network to meet the growing demand for these services.”

Merck’s Scottish sites, with over 33 years of testing expertise, are set to play a significant role in the company’s global growth plans. With its BioReliance testing services portfolio, Merck performs more than 20,000 studies in the UK annually for over 500 clients globally.

The company is aiming to increase its group sales to approximately €25 billion (£21.6bn) by 2025, with its “Big 3” businesses, including the Life Science Services business unit, expected to generate about 80% of the targeted sales.

David McClelland, site head and managing director for the Scottish sites, added: “Merck has a wealth of testing expertise spanning over 75 years, including 33 years here in Scotland.

“The biosafety testing services at our sites in Glasgow and Stirling have been experiencing strong, double-digit growth for several years. This investment is a significant announcement for Merck in Scotland and an acknowledgment of the great work of our on-site teams.”