Pharmaceutical Online Covers 2026 ISPE Facility of the Year Awards (FOYA) Category Winner, Bayer
24 July, 2026
Bayer’s SOLIDA-1 manufacturing facility is redefining how pharmaceutical companies approach capacity expansion, operational flexibility, and long-term manufacturing resilience. As detailed in the article by Pharmaceutical Online, the company’s FOYA category award-winning oral solid dose facility was deliberately designed around a modular “spine plus modules” architecture that separates shared infrastructure from production operations. Rather than relying on a fixed-capacity plant model, SOLIDA-1 enables Bayer to expand manufacturing capacity incrementally by adding standardized production modules as demand grows, while minimizing disruption to ongoing operations.
The facility’s central spine serves as the backbone for logistics, personnel flow, utilities, and waste management, allowing production modules to function as self-contained units that can be added, modified, or upgraded independently. Combined with Bayer’s Automated Modular Formulation system, advanced automation platform, and digital production orchestration layer, the design supports both low-potency and high-potency oral solid dose products within the same manufacturing environment. Standardized engineering templates, modular utilities, robotic material handling, automated cleaning systems, and plug-and-play automation interfaces further streamline scalability while maintaining product quality and operational efficiency.
Bayer executives emphasized that modularity was not simply an engineering decision, but a strategic initiative to accelerate innovation, accommodate changing product pipelines, and establish a future-ready manufacturing platform. The facility’s flexible design allows new production modules to reach commercial readiness in approximately two years—more than a year faster than traditional facility expansions. Its strong digital backbone, including manufacturing execution system- driven execution, digital batch records, automated logistics, and custom production flow control software, also provides a foundation for increasingly autonomous and potentially “lights-out” manufacturing operations.
This innovative approach helped SOLIDA-1 earn two 2026 ISPE FOYA category awards, recognizing the facility’s achievements in Pharma 4.0™ and Operational Excellence. The project demonstrates how modular infrastructure, standardized design, and advanced digital integration can create a scalable manufacturing model capable of adapting to evolving therapies, technologies, and market demands over the coming decade.
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About Pharmaceutical Online
Pharmaceutical Online is part of the Life Science Connect media group and serves pharmaceutical manufacturing, quality, engineering, and supply chain professionals with technical insights, industry news, best practices, and expert analysis. The publication covers topics including drug manufacturing, facility design, process development, automation, validation, regulatory compliance, packaging, and supply chain optimization, helping industry stakeholders stay informed about emerging technologies and operational strategies across the pharmaceutical sector.