Boehringer Ingelheim expands its production footprint in China

Dr. Wolfgang Baiker, Member of the Board of Managing Directors, responsible for Biopharmceuticals and Operations

The research driven pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim has inaugurated the expansion of its manufacturing plant and the building of its chemicals R&D laboratory Center of Competence in the Zhangjiang High-Tech Park in Shanghai. The expansion, with a total investment of approximately 70 million Euros, will make the Zhangjiang plant one of Boehringer Ingelheim’s most important sites in the Asia Pacific region. The number of employees will rise significantly to 350 and the production capacity will presumably be tripled until 2018.

Dr. Wolfgang Baiker

“Our objective is to meet the demand for more health in China. It shows our continuous commitment to China and specifically Shanghai”, said Dr Wolfgang Baiker, Member of the Board of Managing Directors, responsible for Biopharmaceuticals and Operations. “With our investments in China we will be able to offer more innovative medicines for Chinese patients, helping them to improve health and quality of life.”

The plant expansion will help to establish new capabilities and capacities and a more effective supply chain to support Boehringer Ingelheim’s ambitious business plan in China. The future vision is to make the Shanghai plant a competitive regional supply site in Boehringer Ingelheim’s global operations network.

The project consists of a packaging centre with space for high tech packaging lines, new quality control labs, and automated warehouse and logistics to ensure the reliable and high quality supply and also to launch new products. The main technologies are solid forms (tablets) and liquids (syrups) with a future output of over 150 million packages in 2016 and up to 220 million in 2018.

In addition, a brand new facility has been built for the Center of Competence, which has been relocated from Waigaojiao to this new site. This chemicals R&D laboratory, which started operation in 2010, specialises in optimising process for and analytical testing of active pharmaceutical ingredients and chemical intermediates procured from Boehringer Ingelheim’s strategic partners in China.

Dr Wolfgang Baiker added: “We will invest further into the site in 2014 to set up a development lab for biopharmaceuticals. All these activities show Boehringer Ingelheim’s commitment to supporting innovation and growing our business further in China – one of the most important pharma markets in the world. ”

“Operations together with our other strategic pillars – Prescription Medicines, Consumer Healthcare, Biopharmaceuticals and Animal Health – will continue to bring more health to China,” said David Preston, Chairman and CEO of Boehringer Ingelheim China and Hong Kong.

Since it entered the Chinese market in 1994, Boehringer Ingelheim has been one of the fastest growing international pharmaceutical companies in China in the past few years. On 6th June 2013, the company announced a joint project with Zhangjiang Base company in Shanghai to establish a platform to support and contribute to the development and manufacturing of high quality biologics for China.