Representatives of Merck Group sign an agreement with the Nantong Economic and Technological Development Area in East China's Jiangsu province on June 29. [Photo provided to NETDA] 

Merck Group signed an agreement to build a 70-million-euro ($76.21 million) high-purified reagent manufacturing base in the Nantong Economic and Technological Development Area (NETDA) in East China's Jiangsu province on June 29.  

The base is expected to be put into operation in 2026. Its high-purified reagents will be widely applied in fields such as pharmaceuticals and food and drinks, which are vital to upgrading Nantong's biomedical industrial chain, according to authorities. 

Wu Xinming, Party secretary of Nantong, said at the signing ceremony that Nantong's transportation is undergoing great changes with the construction of four cross-Yangtze River tunnels beginning last year, and this will be key to advancing the city's integration into the Yangtze River Delta integrated development. 

Wu expressed the hope that Merck Group will seize the opportunity and take advantage of its technologies to bring more related projects to the city, and will be engaged in the development of Nantong's biomedical industry. 

Allan Gabor, president of Merck China, expressed his gratitude for the local government's support and services, and said that the 10-year-long cooperation between Nantong and Merck Group convinced him that making more investments in the city is a wise choice. 

Gabor added that signing the agreement is a milestone in Merck's history and hoped that both sides will strengthen cooperation to make sure the construction of the base will start as soon as possible. 

Merck Group has invested more than 2.7 billion yuan ($372.61 million) in Nantong since it established its presence in the city in 2014, accounting for more than half of its total investment in China. 

The output of Merck Nantong Co in 2022 was valued at 5.8 billion yuan.