Colaric told the press before the opening that the new facility for the production of solid dosage forms, worth EUR 91m, would increase the company's production capabilities by 2.5 billion units a year.

This will put Krka's annual production of tablets and pills to 10 billion. The production in the facility was launched in April and 130 people already work there.

The other facility, a development and control centre, worth EUR 22m, will expand the company's research and development activity and enable better quality control, according to Colaric.

The head of the R&D department at Krka, Aleš Rotar, said the centre was already fully operational, employing 320 people, and that another 130 people would be employed eventually.

The five-floor high-tech production facility is also energy efficient and will annually save 300 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions, which equals annual emissions of 100 houses.