Merck & Co. has opened of a new, $1-billion, 225,000-square-foot facility dedicated to vaccine manufacturing at its Durham, North Carolina, site. This expansion was announced earlier this month (March 2025). 

The expansion is a component of the more than $12 billion Merck has invested toward US capital investment since 2018 with a focus on expanding domestic manufacturing and research and development capabilities. The company says another $8 billion of US capital investment is expected by 2028. 

The manufacturing facility uses 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. 

Source: Merck & Co.