Monrol builds production plant in Cologne

One of the leading global companies in nuclear medicine is coming to Cologne. Eczacıbaşı Monrol Nükleer Ürünler San. ve Tic. A.Ş. (Monrol) is setting up in the Immendorf industrial zone and plans to build an excellence centre for radiopharmaceutical production. More than 100 employees will work there on the development of products for treating cancer. The city of Cologne and its economic promotion agency KölnBusiness actively supported the establishment of Monrol.

This is the first production plant of Monrol in a Western European country. Cologne came on top in an international competition. The estimated investment volume is 30 million euros. The plant should start working by 2026 and, at full capacity, will employ over 90 employees – especially highly specialised workers in the fields of chemistry, physics, medicine and logistics, as well as production specialists and engineers. At the same time, an own distribution organisation will be established on the approximately 4,500-square-metre plot, so that in the future more than 100 people will work at Monrol GmbH in Cologne-Immendorf.

Besides the manufacture of nuclear medicine products, Monrol plans to establish the new site in Cologne as a leading site for collaboration between science and industry to drive innovation. At the new production site, the company will focus on products for cancer patients.

"An innovative company like Monrol is always looking for partners who act quickly and future-oriented in a dynamic environment. We are happy and grateful to have found such partners in the city of Cologne and in KölnBusiness. Cologne as a healthcare location and the surroundings rich in top-class scientific institutions are ideal conditions to fulfil Monrol’s mission in the service of patient health. Monrol’s high-end research and production will surely continue to develop very positively in Cologne." Aydin Kücük, director of Monrol.

From land search to building permit: Support by KölnBusiness

Monrol was actively supported by the economic promotion agency KölnBusiness and the city of Cologne in the search for the right site and the establishment process. Given the company’s search profile, KölnBusiness suggested suitable areas – including Immendorf – and acted as an interface to the municipality, for instance for the building permits. The production site will be developed on municipal land that was approved for sale by the city council in September. This was preceded in June 2022 by a visit by Cologne’s mayor Henriette Reker to Istanbul, where she also visited Monrol’s headquarters to personally promote Cologne as a site for the establishment of the plant. 

“I am happy that Monrol GmbH opted for Cologne as its first site in Western Europe. During my visit in Istanbul, I was able to gain an in-person impression of the innovative company, which will strengthen the healthcare sector in Cologne and the healthcare location in the future. Some 2,500 Turkish companies already contribute to Cologne’s economic life today. I am certain that Monrol and its employees will benefit from the large community, the varied cultural possibilities and the pleasant atmosphere”, says Henriette Reker, Mayor of Cologne. 

Innovations in cancer treatment made in Cologne 

“Monrol will strengthen Cologne as a leading international site in the field of Health and Life Sciences”, says Manfred Janssen, director of KölnBusiness. “The healthcare sector is already the second-largest sector in Cologne. The foundations for this work are the excellent infrastructure – whether through the close collaboration between companies, universities and research institutions, or Cologne’s dense network of market-leading logistics companies.”

From biotechnology to medical technology and digital health: Some 200 Cologne companies and some 80,000 employees in the field of Health and Life Sciences work in Cologne on innovative and pioneering solutions – with an annual turnover of 6.5 billion euros.

About Monrol

Monrol is one of the largest companies in the world in the field of nuclear medicine and is leading in the development and manufacture of radioisotopes and radiopharmaceuticals in GMP quality. From its headquarters in Istanbul, the company distributes its own portfolio of first-class radiopharmaceutical products to over 50 countries around the world. Monrol has set itself the goal of improving cancer treatment for patients. The company offers CDMO customers support in the early phase of development as well as fully integrated services for the introduction of new product concepts in clinical studies, proof of concept and transition to first-in-human studies. Monrol is located near a large international airport and transport hub and benefits from a global logistics network and agreements with cargo services to 320 destinations worldwide.