Evonik expands biotech drug-substance capacity in Slovakia
- Evonik invests €80 million to expand downstream fermentation capabilities at its Fermas site in Slovenská Ľupča, Slovakia.
- The expansion adds state-of-the-art downstream processing to support contract manufacturing of drug substances.
- The project will create about 50 jobs and follows a prior investment in an industrial-scale rhamnolipids plant.
Investment and project scope
Evonik is investing about €80 million to add downstream fermentation and processing capabilities at its Fermas site in Slovenská Ľupča, Slovakia, to support contract manufacturing of drug substances.
Capacity and jobs
The expansion targets increased downstream bioprocess capacity to meet rising demand for complex pharmaceutical ingredients and is expected to create roughly 50 jobs at the site.
Prior investments and site role
This is the second major investment at Fermas in recent years, following the 2022 initiation of an industrial rhamnolipids plant; Evonik reported the first industrial-scale production of rhamnolipid biosurfactants in 2024. Fermas has evolved from an amino‑acid producer into a fermentation-focused manufacturing center serving pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, personal care and animal nutrition.
Bioprocess applications
The added downstream technology is intended to support scalable production of fermentation-derived ingredients and to facilitate development of alternatives that can offer sustainability advantages over conventional routes.
Source: Evonik