SCHOTT Pharma is expanding its manufacturing footprint at its existing site in Lukacshaza, Hungary, with a new sterile ready-to-use (RTU) cartridge production facility.
The project is part of a broader three-project capacity expansion investment package totalling €244m ($277m) aimed at meeting surging global demand for high-margin pharmaceutical packaging solutions.
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Construction on the €100m ($115.6m) facility began in June 2025 with a ground-breaking ceremony.
The project is expected to create more than 100 new jobs and further cement Lukacshaza’s status as a key hub for pharmaceutical packaging in Europe.
Location
The new facility is being constructed within SCHOTT Pharma’s established site in Lukscshsza at Hungary’s western tip near the Austrian border.
The site is strategically positioned 13km north of Szombathely and 7km south of Koszeg, adjacent to the Gyongyos stream and highway 87, facilitating efficient logistics and cross-border operations.
The Lukscshsza site has seen significant investment from SCHOTT Pharma, including the recent opening of a €76m ($87.8m) prefilled glass syringe facility in June 2024.
SCHOTT Pharma’s sterile RTU cartridge production facility details
The facility will feature a cleanroom production hall with a floor area of 6,000m² (64,583.5ft²), which is designed to comply with stringent Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) standards.
The new RTU cartridge production hall will incorporate an advanced washing line and steam sterilisation process to minimise environmental impact. It will operate a fully integrated, automated manufacturing process with minimal manual intervention, ensuring the highest standards of product sterility and quality.
The energy recovered from technological systems will help maintain a comfortable indoor climate in the building, while lowering its environmental footprint.
Construction details
The start of construction was preceded by extensive site preparation, including landscaping, utility replacements and subsoil stabilisation.
The project lies within an active factory complex where other building activities are underway simultaneously, requiring careful coordination, and the high groundwater level at the site necessitates specialised foundation methods.
Key technical challenges for this project include the construction of cleanrooms, featuring the installation of self-supporting, walk-on suspended ceiling systems, together with sterile steam and specialised cleanroom ventilation technology.
Precast reinforced concrete elements, such as slab panels, beams, staircases and pillar frames, are being used, with heavy machinery such as piling machines, excavators and concrete mixers supporting the work.
During earthworks, a portion of the 4,000m³ of excavated soil is being recycled for use in the project.
SCHOTT Pharma’s RTU cartridge portfolio details
SCHOTT Pharma’s pharmaceutical cartridges are designed for robustness, reliability and cross-device compatibility to deliver precise doses in any clinical setting. The range is designed to work with leading pen and auto-injector platforms, as well as wearable delivery systems.
The cartridges are made with FIOLAX® Type I borosilicate glass, demonstrate highly favourable extractables and leachables characteristics, and have stringent dimensional tolerances. They are engineered for the storage and delivery of biologics, GLP-1 drugs, insulin and hormone therapies.
Precise internal dimensions of the cartridges support reliable container closure integrity with plunger stoppers, and the refined shoulder design promotes accurate dose delivery. The cartridges are available as syringes, vials and ampoules.
Some of the syringe products offered by the company include syriQ®, syriQ BioPure® and syriQ BioPure® silicone-free.
SCHOTT Pharma also offers the EVERIC® range of vials, the SCHOTT TOPPAC® cartridges, as well as ampoules of various sizes to deliver sensitive medicines and preserve their quality throughout storage.
Contractors involved
SCHOTT Pharma awarded STRABAG the contract to design and construct the new cleanroom production hall.
The full scope of work for STRABAG, a construction company headquartered in Austria, includes site preparation, structural engineering, cleanroom installation and integration of advanced building systems.
Marketing commentary on SCHOTT Pharma
SCHOTT Pharma, headquartered in Germany, is a provider of drug containment and delivery solutions.
Since establishing its operations in Lukacshaza, Hungary, in 1993, the site has evolved into a 26,000m² centre of excellence, producing more than 2.2 billion vials, ampoules and cartridges annually.
The company has a presence across Europe, North America, South America and Asia. In 2024, the company broke ground on a new pre-fillable syringe manufacturing facility in the US state of North Carolina.