German biotechnology company BioNTech will close three sites in Germany after failing to find buyers, affecting about 1,800 employees. According to German media, the sites are in Tübingen, Marburg and Idar-Oberstein. BioNTech said a months-long effort to sell the facilities was unsuccessful. ALSO READ: BioNTech secures up to Rwf160bn for vaccine production in Rwanda Operations at the Tübingen site are now expected to end by the end of 2027, while the Marburg site will close in early 2028 and Idar-Oberstein at the end of 2028. The company attributed the failed sales mainly to the current difficult market and investment environment. BioNTech said it has agreed with its works council on additional severance terms for affected employees. Details of the arrangements were not initially disclosed. ALSO READ: BioNTech: Kagame hails launch of first plant in Rwanda, calls for more trust, cooperation The closures are part of BioNTech’s plan to consolidate its manufacturing network as production needs change. The company had announced in May that it was seeking buyers for the three sites as part of the restructuring. The Marburg facility has produced mRNA-based Covid-19 vaccines and plasmid DNA, a material used in the production of mRNA vaccines and cell therapies. The Tübingen site is associated with CureVac, which BioNTech acquired in 2025. BioNTech had earlier said its manufacturing consolidation would help address expected excess capacity and support investment in its oncology pipeline. The company initially planned to complete the exit from all three German sites by the end of 2027. The latest timeline extends the closure of Marburg and Idar-Oberstein into 2028. BioNTech is working with Rwanda and has presence in the country. It launched its first mRNA vaccine manufacturing facility in Kigali in December 2023, as part of efforts to expand vaccine manufacturing capacity in Africa and reduce reliance on imported vaccines.
