Sanofi has begun construction of an insulin manufacturing facility in Frankfurt, Germany, with full production of active pharmaceutical ingredients planned for 2032, subject to licensing.
The company held a groundbreaking ceremony Oct. 19 at its Frankfurt BioCampus, attended by Hesse Prime Minister Boris Rhein, Frankfurt Mayor Mike Josef and Sanofi executives, including Chief Executive Belén Garijo.
The facility will occupy 36,000 square meters and use automation, digital technologies and artificial intelligence in manufacturing and quality processes. Sanofi said the project is intended to support its long-term global insulin supply.
The Frankfurt site already handles the full insulin manufacturing process, from active ingredient production through filling, device assembly and packaging. About 4,000 employees at the campus work on insulin, and approximately 20 insulin products are supplied from the site.
Sanofi currently supplies insulin to about 15 million people in more than 100 countries annually, according to the company.
The project was first announced in August 2024. In September 2026, the European Commission approved public support from Germany’s federal government, the state of Hesse and the city of Frankfurt under European Union state aid rules.
The announcement did not disclose the project’s cost, the amount of public funding, its expected production capacity or the number of jobs the new facility would create.
Sanofi cited growing demand for diabetes treatment as a reason for expanding its manufacturing infrastructure. The company said more than 500 million people worldwide have diabetes and projected that the figure would exceed 800 million by 2050, increasing the importance of sustained insulin supplies.
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