BioNTech to close sites in Germany, Singapore impacting 1,860 jobs

German biotechnology company BioNTech will close multiple manufacturing facilities by the end of next year due to anticipated excess capacity. The production footprint consolidation, which will impact approximately 1,860 positions, was announced on Tuesday as part of BioNTech’s first-quarter 2026 financial results and corporate update.

The company plans to conclude operations in Singapore in the first quarter of 2027, while operations at sites in Idar-Oberstein, Marburg, and Tübingen in Germany will cease by the end of next year — as the company looks to optimize capacities and achieve operational efficiency.

“No impact on commercial or clinical supply nor contractual obligations is expected as the affected sites will become underutilized or idle in the next 24 months,” according to the announcement, which emphasized that BioNTech “continues to ensure a robust drug supply via its established manufacturing network.”

In Germany, the Idar-Oberstein facility manufactures cell therapy products and clinical bulk mRNA. The Marburg site produces mRNA for vaccines, while the Tübingen facility was part of BioNTech’s 2025 acquisition of CureVac. The Singapore site was added to the BioNTech manufacturing network in 2022, when it acquired the facility from Novartis.

At each of the impacted manufacturing sites, BioNTech said it is exploring divestment options through the end of the third quarter of 2026, including a partial or total sale. Cost savings from the site closings could potentially reach approximately €500 million ($585 million) in recurring annual savings once fully implemented in 2029, the company said.

The savings are meant to support BioNTech’s capital allocation to advance its growing oncology pipeline toward commercialization.

CFO Ramón Zapata told analysts during Tuesday’s earnings call that BioNTech’s commercial and R&D drug supply “will be covered” by its broader manufacturing network.

“Supply of our COVID-19 vaccine will be fully handled by our partner, Pfizer, via their established manufacturing capacities beginning at the end of 2026,” Zapata said. “These plans underline our commitment to continuously steer our capacities in support of our strategy to become a multi-product company by 2030.”

According to Zapata, BioNTech plans to continue aligning and consolidating its manufacturing network, focusing on sites where capacities will become underutilized or idle in the next 24 months.

“Excess capacity can be driven by evolving supply needs, mergers and acquisitions, BioNTech’s partners manufacturing capacities, and completion of contracts,” he added.

BioNTainer-based manufacturing facilities

In October 2025, BioNTech announced it is advancing construction of an mRNA vaccine manufacturing facility in Kigali, Rwanda, designed to strengthen local vaccine production capacity and expand access to essential vaccines across Africa. The facility is expected to be the first commercial mRNA vaccine facility on the African continent, advancing the African Union’s goal to produce 60% of its vaccines locally by 2040.

The Rwanda site will leverage BioNTech’s modular “BioNTainers” — high-tech, transportable manufacturing units that can be rapidly deployed and adapted to produce different mRNA-based vaccines. BioNTech is also building a BioNTainer-based manufacturing facility in Melbourne, Australia.

BioNTainer-based manufacturing facilities can be customized to regional needs and equipped to manufacture a range of mRNA-based products, according to BioNTech.

Each BioNTainer has a cleanroom with standardized equipment and software components and includes six to eight ISO containers designed for the process steps of mRNA manufacturing, from active ingredients and drug production to filling and packaging.