Evonik Expands in Slovakia

Germany-based Evonik has broken ground on a new biotechnology expansion project at its Fermas site in Slovenská Ľupča, Slovakia. The company notes that this marks the next major milestone in the approximately EUR 80 million investment to expand Evonik’s biotechnology capabilities and strengthen its contract manufacturing services for the company’s drug substance business. The project is expected to be completed in early 2028.

The investment will add downstream fermentation technology to the site, increasing capacity for the development and manufacture of complex pharmaceutical intermediate. Creating approximately 50 new jobs, the expansion will further reinforce the Fermas site as one of Evonik’s key biotechnology hubs, said Lauren Kjeldsen, member of the management board and COO at custom solutions, Evonik.

“Today is an important step in our strategy to expand our biotechnology platform and support our customers with innovative, scalable, and sustainable manufacturing solutions,” continued Kjeldsen. “Biotechnology demonstrates how economic growth and sustainability can go hand in hand.”

Compared with conventional chemical synthesis, fermentation-based processes can offer a more sustainable route to selected intermediates by reducing the need for organic solvents and minimizing process-related waste. The Fermas site already operates on 100 percent green electricity and uses renewable and certified raw materials in selected production processes.

“This investment demonstrates the company’s confidence in biotechnology and in Slovakia as a location where innovation turns into industrial scale products,” added Miroslav Havlik, general manager of Evonik Fermas.

Evonik Fermas, which was founded in 1992, has evolved from amino acid production into a biotechnology manufacturing hub serving the pharmaceutical, personal care, nutrition, and specialty chemical industries. In recent years, the site has also become a major location for Evonik’s biotechnology activities, including the launch of an industrial-scale rhamnolipid biosurfactant production facility.

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