Boehringer Ingelheim plans to invest approximately EUR 500 million ($537 million) in biopharmaceutical production at its site in Vienna, Austria, through the addition of a new large-scale biopharmaceutical production facility for active ingredients manufactured using cell cultures. The company expects to create approximately 400 new jobs as well. The exact investment and job numbers will be established as details are finalized. The biopharmaceutical production plant will go into operation by 2021.

“This is a decision for Europe as a pharma location,” said Professor Dr Andreas Barner, chairman of the board of managing directors at Boehringer Ingelheim, in a company release. “We took a close look at various international options as part of the investment decision, also considering the research environment at potential sites. The clincher for Vienna was ultimately the company's desire to additionally secure the market supply of biopharmaceutical products and to balance the risk by establishing a further independent facility.”

In Vienna, Boehringer Ingelheim has up to now produced pharmaceutical active ingredients using microorganisms; over the next few years, cell culture technology will also be transferred there. At its site in Biberach, Germany, the company has two large-scale facilities for the market launch and cell-culture-based manufacture of biopharmaceuticals Biberach will remain Boehringer Ingelheim's largest European cell culture and global launch site for biopharmaceutical products.

Source: Boehringer Ingelheim