Merck’s Biotech Development Center Earns WHO Global Lighthouse Recognition
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Three years after its inauguration on the shores of Lake Leman, Merck’s Biotech Development Centre (BDC) in Corsier-sur-Vevey has been recognised by the World Economic Forum (WHO) as one of the world’s most advanced manufacturing sites.
On 22 June 2026, the WEF announced 16 new additions to its Global Lighthouse Network — a community now comprising 238 sites recognised for deploying advanced technologies at scale across manufacturing and supply chains. Merck’s Vaud facility was among them, awarded in the “Distinction in Customer Centricity” category for its pioneering approach to biologics production.
The centre, which required a CHF 250 million investment and spans 15,700 m², was built to do something rarely attempted in pharmaceutical manufacturing: shift biologics production entirely from batch to continuous processing. The results speak for themselves. Speed to patient has been cut by 50%, laboratory productivity has increased by 67% through automation and robotics, and the capital expenditure required to build a commercial-scale plant has been reduced by 80% — a figure that fundamentally changes the economics of bringing next-generation biologics to market.
“This digitally-enabled facility is designed to accelerate the availability of new medicines to patients,” Merck noted, adding that its modular environments allow scientists to focus on high-value tasks rather than manual processes. The building is also powered in part by 500 m² of solar panels.
The recognition is a milestone for the Swiss Health Valley ecosystem. Merck has been established in the Canton of Vaud for nearly 40 years and employs over 1,600 people across its Corsier-sur-Vevey and Aubonne sites. It is one of the most significant life sciences employers in French-speaking Switzerland, with more than 2,400 employees across the country and over CHF 1 billion invested in Switzerland over the past twelve years alone.
The Lighthouse award confirms what the Riviera already knew: Corsier-sur-Vevey is no longer just a Merck production site — it is one of the most technically advanced biotech facilities in the world. In 2025, the BDC also received the BioAlps Industry Award.
➡️ Source: WHO