EIB and European Commission Support BioNTech’s First mRNA Vaccine Manufacturing Facility in Africa with up to €95 Million in Financing

EIB and European Commission Support BioNTech’s First mRNA Vaccine Manufacturing Facility in Africa with up to €95 Million in Financing

(IN BRIEF) The European Investment Bank and European Commission are jointly supporting BioNTech’s mRNA manufacturing facility in Kigali, Rwanda, with up to €95 million in blended financing. The project aims to strengthen Africa’s capacity to produce vaccines locally for diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis, HIV, and mpox. Using BioNTech’s modular BioNTainer technology, the Kigali site could become Africa’s first commercial mRNA vaccine facility. Backed by CEPI, the EU, and Team Europe under the Global Gateway strategy, the initiative supports Africa’s goal to produce 60% of its vaccines locally by 2040 while fostering innovation, job creation, and long-term health resilience.

(PRESS RELEASE) LUXEMBOURG, 13-Oct-2025 — /EuropaWire/ — The European Investment Bank (EIB) and the European Commission (EC) have announced a joint effort to advance BioNTech’s state-of-the-art mRNA vaccine manufacturing facility in Kigali, Rwanda, a pioneering project that aims to strengthen Africa’s capacity to produce vaccines locally for infectious diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis, HIV, and mpox. This initiative represents a landmark step in building Africa’s long-term health resilience, innovation capacity, and pharmaceutical independence.

Under the agreement, BioNTech will receive a blended financing package of up to €95 million, including a €35 million grant from the European Commission and an EIB loan facility of up to €60 million. The facility will utilize BioNTainers, BioNTech’s modular, transportable production units capable of rapidly adapting to manufacture various mRNA-based vaccines. This flexible system will enable vaccine production to be tailored to the needs of African countries and help establish a sustainable vaccine ecosystem across the continent.

Once operational, the Kigali site is expected to be the first commercial mRNA vaccine manufacturing facility in Africa, capable of producing vaccines for both clinical development and broad public use. The project aims to enhance local research capacity, create skilled jobs, and position Rwanda as a growing hub for biotechnology and life sciences innovation.

EIB Vice-President Karl Nehammer emphasized the project’s impact: “This manufacturing site is about empowering Africa with the tools and expertise to tackle health challenges independently. By working with BioNTech and the European Commission, we’re supporting a future where vaccines are produced in Africa, for Africa. This partnership is a major step forward for health, jobs, and innovation across the continent.”

Sierk Poetting, Chief Operating Officer of BioNTech, added: “Global health challenges are too vast for any single entity to solve alone. We are committed to working with governments, researchers, and non-profit organizations to build a self-sustaining mRNA ecosystem in Africa. The support from the European Commission, EIB, and CEPI is critical to advancing vaccines against diseases that disproportionately affect millions across the continent.”

The project builds on a strategic partnership between BioNTech, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), and Team Europe, reflecting shared goals under the EU’s Global Gateway strategy. The initiative also aligns with the African Union’s vision to produce 60% of the continent’s vaccines locally by 2040, reducing reliance on external supply chains and strengthening regional health security.

European Commissioner for International Partnerships Jozef Síkela highlighted the broader vision: “Global health is a core pillar of the Global Gateway strategy. The EU has already committed over €1.9 billion to vaccine and medicine manufacturing in Africa. Supporting BioNTech’s Kigali facility strengthens local expertise, accelerates innovation, and enhances Africa’s self-sufficiency in healthcare production.”

In addition to EU and EIB support, CEPI has contributed up to €130 million to ensure the vaccines produced at the Kigali site remain accessible and affordable. Dr Amadou Sall, Executive Director of Manufacturing and Supply Chain at CEPI, said: “This project will boost Africa’s ability to respond rapidly to health emergencies and future pandemics, marking a major milestone in achieving the Africa CDC’s goal for vaccine self-reliance.”

Together, these efforts represent a transformative step toward equitable vaccine access, regional innovation, and long-term public health security for Africa and beyond.

The European Investment Bank Group

The European Investment Bank (EIB) is the long-term lending institution of the European Union, owned by its Member States. Built around eight core priorities, we finance investments that contribute to EU policy objectives by bolstering climate action and the environment, digitalisation and technological innovation, security and defence, cohesion, agriculture and bioeconomy, social infrastructure, the capital markets union, and a stronger Europe in a more peaceful and prosperous world.

The EIB Group, which also includes the European Investment Fund (EIF), signed nearly €89 billion in new financing for over 900 high-impact projects in 2024, boosting Europe’s competitiveness and security. The EIB’s health investment totalled €2.9 billion last year and improved healthcare services for more than 7 million people worldwide.

BioNTech

Biopharmaceutical New Technologies (BioNTech) is a next generation immunotherapy company pioneering novel therapies for cancer and other serious diseases. The Company exploits a wide array of computational discovery and therapeutic drug platforms for the rapid development of novel biopharmaceuticals. BioNTech Rwanda, established in 2022, will manage the Kigali facility. To date, BioNTech has made a triple digit million Euro investment in the establishment of its mRNA manufacturing facility in Kigali and plans to continue investingover the next years.

CEPI
CEPI is an innovative partnership between public, private, philanthropic and civil organizations. Its mission is to accelerate the development of vaccines and other biologic countermeasures against epidemic and pandemic threats so they can be accessible to all people in need. CEPI has supported the development of more than 70 vaccine candidates or platform technologies against multiple known high-risk pathogens or a future Disease X. Central to CEPI’s pandemic-beating five-year plan for 2022-2026 is the ‘100 Days Mission’ to accelerate the time taken to develop safe, effective, globally accessible vaccines against new threats to just 100 days.

Media contact:
Antonie Kerwien
a.kerwien@eib.org
+352 4379 – 82175

Press Office
press@eib.org
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SOURCE: European Investment Bank