NORTH MACEDONIA – German packaging giant Gerresheimer is investing over €100 million (US$105m) to boost its syringe manufacturing capabilities at its Skopje facility.
This expansion will add 7,600 square meters of production space, including clean rooms certified to Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) Class C and D standards.
The new production hall will focus on syringes and other primary packaging made from tubular glass, enhancing Gerresheimer’s capacity to deliver integrated solutions for the pharmaceutical industry.
This development is part of the company’s global expansion strategy to meet rising demand for drug delivery systems.
The expansion is expected to double the plant’s workforce from 250 to 500 employees over the next three to five years.
The first syringe production lines in Skopje are slated to begin operations by the end of 2024, with additional lines to follow by 2025.
“This is a key step in implementing our corporate strategy, Formula G,” said Gerresheimer CEO Dietmar Siemssen.
“By combining plastic and glass production at one site, we can offer fully integrated solutions tailored to our customers’ needs, including ready-to-fill syringe systems.”
Strategic global expansion
Gerresheimer’s Skopje site has produced drug delivery systems and plastic medical products since 2019, including syringe accessories like the Gx TELC syringe closure system and the Gx InnoSafe safety system.
The facility’s clean rooms meet ISO Class 7, 8, and 9 standards, ensuring high-quality manufacturing conditions.
The Skopje expansion aligns with Gerresheimer’s broader strategy to concentrate syringe production at key locations, including Bünde, Germany, and Querétaro, Mexico.
In May, Gerresheimer announced a similar expansion at its Querétaro facility to cater to North American demand for ready-to-fill (RTF) syringes, particularly for biopharmaceuticals such as glucagon-like peptide-1-based drugs used in obesity management.
The new Skopje facility will leverage advanced automation and quality assurance technologies, enhancing efficiency and optimizing logistics.
Once fully operational, it will significantly boost Gerresheimer’s global manufacturing capacity for syringes.
The Querétaro expansion, set to be completed by mid-2024, will add a 7,500-square-meter production area equipped with 10 glass-forming machines and multiple RTF syringe lines.
Production in Mexico is expected to begin in Q2 2025, increasing output by several hundred million syringes annually for the North American market.
With these strategic investments, Gerresheimer is well-positioned to meet growing global demand for high-quality, sustainable drug delivery systems.
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