German Chancellor Olaf Scholz sees the strengthening of Germany as a centre for pharmaceuticals as a main task of the federal government.
"Whatever we can do as a federal government to strengthen Germany as a pharmaceutical location, we will do," Scholz said on Monday at the symbolic ground-breaking ceremony for a new plant of the US pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly in Alzey in the western German state of Rhineland-Palatinate.
The US company is investing around €2.3 billion ($2.5 billion) in the site near Worms.
"We are talking about one of, if not the largest single investment in Germany as a pharmaceutical location since reunification," continued Scholz.
Eli Lilly is building a production facility for injectable drugs in Alzey.