By Han Joo-yeob
powerusr@ddaily.co.kr

Merck, a German chemical and pharmaceutical company, held a ground-breaking ceremony to build a new Innovation Center at its headquarters in Darmstadt, Germany, on Sept. 1.

In addition to the Innovation Center, the company plans to construct a new building to house a Visitor Center, a restaurant, and a parking lot. The road connecting the eastern and western parts of the headquarters will be redesigned. The construction is to be completed in the spring of 2015 at the cost 25 million Euros.

Kai Beckmann, Merck Executive Board Member with responsibility for the Darmstadt site, said that the expansion is aimed to transform the Darmstadt headquarters into a contemporary one that can meet the present and future demands in the global competitive environment. The project will also enable it to create an attractive working environment for employees, he said.

The ground-breaking ceremony was attended by many people including Matthias Bürk, Head of Human Resources Germany at Merck, who is responsible for the headquarters refurbishment, and Cornelia Zuschke, a Darmstadt councilwoman.