Why BioNTech Is Closing Three German Sites and What the Job Cuts Mean
BioNTech is closing three production sites in Germany, with about 1,800 jobs affected. The facilities are in Tübingen, Marburg and Idar-Oberstein, spread across Baden-Württemberg, Hesse and Rhineland-Palatinate. The company has cited low utilization, excess production capacity, the need for savings and a stronger focus on cancer drugs as reasons for the move. BILD reported the plans.
A phased shutdown
The three sites will close at different times. Tübingen is scheduled to shut down first, followed by Marburg in early 2028. Idar-Oberstein is expected to close at the end of 2028. BioNTech has already agreed with its group works council on additional severance payments for employees.
Why the plants are underused
Demand for BioNTech's Covid vaccine has been falling for years, according to the company. That has left its German production sites underused. BioNTech says it now has too much manufacturing capacity and needs to cut costs.
The financial situation gives those reasons weight. BILD reported that BioNTech posted a loss of 1.35 billion euros in the first six months of the year. Closing plants is a direct way to reduce fixed costs.
The pivot to cancer medicine
The closures are not just about shrinking. BioNTech says it wants to focus more strongly on cancer drugs. That means shifting financial and human resources from vaccine production to oncology research and development. The company is trying to become less dependent on the Covid vaccine.
What the cuts mean
For the roughly 1,800 employees at the three sites, the announcement marks the end of jobs connected to the pandemic-era vaccine business. Severance agreements soften the impact, but they do not replace stable employment.
For BioNTech, the closures match its stated plan to make cancer medicine the center of its work. The move reduces costs now, but the success of the strategy will depend on whether its cancer drugs deliver. The sites that are closing will not be part of that next phase.