Roche said Wednesday that it will invest $467 million in building a new diagnostics manufacturing facility in Suzhou, China. The site will be built over the next three years and will eventually employ more than 600 people, Roche said.

The facility will address a growing demand for diagnostic products in the region, Roche said, focusing on immunochemistry and clinical chemistry. 

Establishing a manufacturing footprint close to the company’s China operations in Shanghai will further increase its market responsiveness and competitiveness, Roche Diagnostics COO Roland Digglemann said.

The new manufacturing site will be Roche Diagnostics’ eighth in the world, and the first in the Asia Pacific. It is expected to be fully operational by 2018, the Swiss company said, adding that the facility will help the company become a biopharmaceutical leader in the region.

Roche has had a presence in the Asia Pacific region for over 40 years, with more than 4,000 people employed across 15 countries.  — Kellen Owings