Pharmacy of the World

Hessen is one of the most traditional and important locations in the pharmaceutical and chemical industry.

In 2023 the annual turnover in the pharmaceutical and chemical industry was 32 billion Euros. 58,212 employees work in more than 180 pharmaceutical and chemical companies. The annual turnover, the amount of employees and operating companies make pharmaceutical and chemical industry to the key industrial sector in Hessen.

Hessen is also home to major companies in the sector – including a large number of international firms such as Abbott, B. Braun Melsungen, Clariant, CSL Behring, Evonik, Fresenius, Merck, Procter & Gamble, and Sanofi. These stand for quality “made in Hessen.”

The export ratio for the pharmaceutical and chemical industry in 2023 was almost 67 percent, with foreign sales amounting to 21.4 billion Euros. Direct foreign investments in to the pharmaceutical and chemical industry in Hessen were 7.8 billion Euros at the end of 2021.

> 5.5K students of chemistry and pharmacy at Hessen's universities

Export rate of 67 percent

1.8 billion Euros of investments into R&D

The University of Marburg has the largest pharmacy department in Germany

Healthcare

Hessen is a highly innovative healthcare location covering the entire value chain from research through development down to the manufacture of new drugs, diagnostic agents, and medical technology. With a workforce of more than 95,000 people and gross value added of EUR 10.5 billion, the sector plays a major role in the state’s economic strength.

Around 200 biotechnology companies are located in Hessen. With around 50 companies, the largest density of in-vitro diagnostics companies in Germany can be found here.

Did you know...

that 250 millions of vaccine doses (Biontech) against the Corona virus are to be produced in Marburg, Hessen in the first half of 2021?

Up to one billion doses can be produced annually. The site will thus be one of the world’s largest production sites of mRNA-based vaccine.

Healthcare Mittelhessen Blog

Education, research and business – in Central Hessen we aim to strengthen the ties between these fields. This makes us resilient and successful, as the past has shown time and again.

We follow the lead of Emil von Behring: As the first biotech founder graduating from the university, he set up a pharmaceutical production facility in Marburg and introduced diphtheria vaccines to the market. He was a successful entrepreneur, physician and researcher – and his work represents how research develops into commercial products. This is the DNA that inspires Healthcare Mittelhessen today.

Discover the latest developments on our blog: Healthcare Mittelhessen

Success story

Kuraray – Japanese specialty chemicals made in Hessen

The European headquarter of Japanese specialty chemicals company Kuraray is located just down the road from Frankfurt Airport. But it’s not merely the location that makes the Rhine-Main region ideal for this sustainability- and socially-oriented company – the area is also home to one of Europe’s largest Japanese communities.

A custom manufacturing facility for innovative laboratory diagnostics

Based in Limburg an der Lahn, biovis Diagnostik MVZ GmbH researches innovative forms of laboratory diagnostics and offers customized treatment options for diseases.

The Hessian-Australian success story

Lilly and Hessen - a successful relationship for more than 60 years

Eli Lilly and Company, founded in 1876, is a global research-based pharmaceuticals company. Since 1960, their German HQ is located in Hessen. In our interview with Oliver Stahl, Head of Corporate Affairs at Lilly Deutschland GmbH, we talked about the advantages they gain from beeing located here over decades.

Infervision – Complex medical AI solutions and relaxing evenings on the banks of the Rhine

Global AI and software company Infervision chose Wiesbaden as the site of its European headquarters due to the city’s optimum conditions for the company and its international staff. No less than three German economic development agencies helped with the location process.

The Hessian-Chinese success story

Microorganisms from central Hessen – for 150 million people every day from the most sustainable company in the world

Biotech company Chr. Hansen develops and produces bacterial strains in Pohlheim, Hessen, providing a sustainable way to make food last longer and thereby reduce food waste. Thanks to the ideal local conditions, the site was recently expanded – and production was more than doubled.

The Hessian-Danish success story