BioNTech to shut three sites in Germany affecting 1,860 jobs

BioNTech announced on Monday, September 28, 2026, that it will close production facilities in Germany after failing to secure buyers. The biotechnology company is dismantling manufacturing infrastructure set up during the Covid-19 pandemic.

A spokesperson for the company stated that despite extensive efforts and a broad sales process, it was not possible to complete a transaction. The spokesperson added that BioNTech reached an agreement with the works council on socially responsible solutions and severance terms for affected employees.

In May, BioNTech announced that it was seeking buyers for German facilities in Idar-Oberstein, Marburg, and Tuebingen, as well as a facility in Singapore, warning that it would halt operations if buyers were not found. The restructuring affects up to 1,860 jobs and forms part of a strategy to transfer Covid-19 vaccine production to its partner, Pfizer.

The company also previously announced in March that its two co-founders would step down by the end of this year to launch a new venture.