Lilly builds multi-billion-dollar site in Alzey
Image: Lilly Deutschland GmbH

Eli Lilly invests $2.5 billion in new Alzey facility, creating up to 1,000 jobs

Eli Lilly and Company announced plans to invest $2.5 billion (€2.3 billion) in a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Alzey (Rhineland-Palatinate). The site will expand the company’s capacity for injectable medicines and delivery devices to meet rising global demand, particularly for diabetes treatments.

Scheduled to open in 2027, the Alzey facility will employ up to 1,000 highly skilled professionals, including engineers, scientists, and operators. During the construction phase starting in 2024, as many as 1,900 additional jobs will be created. Cutting-edge technologies such as automation and high-speed manufacturing will ensure efficient and safe medicine production.

“This new site will enable us to continue providing safe and high-quality medicines reliably,” said Edgardo Hernandez, Executive Vice President at Lilly.

With the new Alzey facility, Lilly will operate six manufacturing sites across Europe, including one in nearby Fegersheim, France. The location was chosen after close collaboration with Germany Trade & Invest (GTAI) and local authorities.

The German government welcomed the decision:

  • Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck called it “an important contribution to industrial value creation in Germany.”
  • Health Minister Karl Lauterbach emphasized that the investment proves “Germany is a reliable hub for pharmaceutical research and production.”

Alongside the new plant, Lilly also announced up to $100 million in investments in Germany’s life science start-up ecosystem, aiming to strengthen collaboration and innovation while boosting Europe’s role in pharma research and production.

Over the past three years, Lilly has announced more than $11 billion in global manufacturing investments, focusing on medicines for diabetes, obesity, Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, and autoimmune disorders.

“With our investment in Alzey, we want to take collaboration and innovation in Germany and Europe to the next level,” said Ilya Yuffa, President of Lilly International.