Investment in the Next Generation of Insulin Production
Groundbreaking Ceremony for State-of-the-Art Insulin Production Facility at Sanofi BioCampus Frankfurt
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Sanofi broke ground at BioCampus Frankfurt on a new, state-of-the-art insulin production facility. The new facility will bring the next generation of insulin production to one of Sanofi’s largest integrated research and production sites. In doing so, the company is making a long-term contribution to reliably supplying millions of people with diabetes with insulin.
Hesse’s Minister President Boris Rhein, Johannes Steiniger, Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, and Frankfurt’s Mayor Mike Josef broke ground together with Belén Garijo, Chief Executive Officer of Sanofi, Brendan O’Callaghan, Executive Vice President of Manufacturing & Supply at Sanofi and Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Sanofi in Germany, as well as Madeleine Roach, Country President of Sanofi in Germany.
Belén Garijo, Chief Executive Officer of Sanofi: “Millions of people worldwide rely on insulin every day. Our commitment to them is long-term. With this new facility, we are investing in the next generation of insulin production in Europe. In doing so, we are building on over a century of expertise and a strong industrial presence in Frankfurt. The right framework conditions for investment and innovation will be crucial for Europe’s future competitiveness.”
Investment in the Next Generation of Insulin Production
The new facility is being built on a 36,000-square-meter site at the Sanofi BioCampus in Frankfurt—roughly the size of five soccer fields. It will meet the highest quality and automation standards and utilize state-of-the-art digital technologies and artificial intelligence in production and quality control processes. Once it begins operations in 2032, the facility will be among the largest and most modern insulin production sites in Europe, making it crucial to Sanofi’s global insulin supply network.
Brendan O’Callaghan, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Sanofi in Germany and Sanofi Global Head of Manufacturing & Supply: “With today’s groundbreaking ceremony, we are bringing the next generation of insulin production to Frankfurt and Europe. This investment builds on more than a century of expertise in insulin production at this site and underscores Sanofi’s long-term commitment to providing insulin to millions of people with diabetes worldwide. In doing so, we are leveraging state-of-the-art production technologies, automation, and digital capabilities. Once the facility is operational, it will be one of the largest and most modern insulin production facilities in the world.”
The Sanofi BioCampus Frankfurt covers the entire insulin production value chain—from active ingredient manufacturing to filling and the production of pens and autoinjectors, all the way through to packaging. Approximately 4,000 employees work at the site on the insulin value chain. From here, approximately 15 million patients in around 80 countries are supplied with 20 different insulin products.
A Long-Term Commitment to People with Diabetes
More than 500 million people worldwide live with diabetes, and many of them rely on insulin every day. Since the number of people with diabetes could rise to 800 million by 2050, a reliable, long-term supply remains essential.
The new facility in Frankfurt underscores Sanofi’s commitment to continuing to care for people with diabetes and to maintaining a resilient global insulin production network over the long term. Frankfurt has played a central role in Sanofi’s history of diabetes and insulin production for more than 100 years.
Building on a long history of production in Germany and Europe
Sanofi announced plans for the new facility in Frankfurt in August 2024. The European Commission approved the government funding provided by the federal government, the state of Hesse, and the city of Frankfurt in September 2026 under EU state aid law.
Madeleine Roach, Country President, Sanofi Germany: “Today is a good day for our Sanofi BioCampus in Frankfurt. With this new facility, we are working together with the federal government, the state, and the city to secure this unique expertise in insulin production for the future. I would like to thank the federal government, the state of Hesse, and the city of Frankfurt for their support. Continuous trust between industry and policymakers, as well as reliable framework conditions, are indispensable in the context of increasing global competition.”
The new facility strengthens Sanofi’s state-of-the-art insulin production capabilities in Germany and the company’s long-standing industrial presence in Europe. It also contributes to broader efforts to strengthen the resilience of European supply chains for critical medicines.
The federal government, the state of Hesse, and the city of Frankfurt also welcomed the investment at today’s groundbreaking ceremony:
Boris Rhein, Minister President of the State of Hesse: “The Höchst Industrial Park is one of the largest and most important high-tech pharmaceutical centers in the world. With this record investment totaling nearly two billion euros in the new insulin plant, Sanofi is strengthening the site and making an important contribution to security of supply in Europe. At the same time, the investment brings Hesse closer to its goal of once again becoming the ‘pharmacy of Europe.’ In doing so, we are strengthening European sovereignty and reducing dependence on third countries. The new insulin plant is a shield for our health.”
Johannes Steiniger, Parliamentary State Secretary, Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy: “Today’s groundbreaking ceremony marks the start of an investment of more than two billion euros at the Höchst site. Sanofi is thus committing to research and production in Germany. This sends an important signal for the pharmaceutical industry and for the jobs associated with it. At the same time, it’s about security of supply: Germany and Europe must be able to rely on efficient production of essential medicines. Investments like this lay an important foundation for that.”
Mike Josef, Mayor of Frankfurt am Main: “Sanofi’s investment in a new insulin production facility sends an extremely important signal for us as a pharmaceutical and industrial hub in Frankfurt. Innovation and highly skilled jobs here point to the future of an industry that is of great importance to our city, the region, and the security of supply throughout Europe. I am pleased that we were able to make our contribution and will continue to help ensure patient care from here in Frankfurt. The groundbreaking ceremony underscores Sanofi’s importance to the Industriepark Höchst site and strengthens Frankfurt’s position as an international city of science and business. The City of Frankfurt will continue to support this project with all its might.”
Note: This article has been translated using a computer system without human intervention. LUMITOS offers these automatic translations to present a wider range of current news. Since this article has been translated with automatic translation, it is possible that it contains errors in vocabulary, syntax or grammar. The original article in German can be found here.
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