The German life sciences and tech firm confirmed the new centres would be near to biotech hubs in Shanghai and Boston but did not provide additional information.
Udit Batra, CEO of Merck Life Science, said: “This expansion reinforces our position as the premier supplier of all process development and clinical stage manufacturing solutions, materials and services needed for the production of biologics.
“This is a strategic, high-potential investment for Merck specifically designed to meet customer needs on three continents.”
Merck cited the commercial success of its bio-development centre in Martillac, France as a further driver for the investment.
The Martillac site, which opened in 2012, provides process development services, biomanufacturing for mammalian proteins for preclinical research to clinical phase II.
The facility houses a 2,000L single-use bioreactor supplied by Merck's tech unit, which was formed through the merger of EMD Millipore unit and recent acquisition Sigma-Aldrich.
The French centre also offers tech transfer services to enable customers to relocate production for late-stage clinical work and commercial manufacturing.