Colombia Gets €15 Million Boost to Build Vaccine Capacity and Cut Import Dependence

The agreement, announced in New York on the margins of the 81st United Nations General Assembly, represents the first tranche of an approved €35 million financing package.

Reliable access to vaccines becomes especially important when a health emergency puts global supplies under pressure, leaving countries dependent on imports exposed to shortages and delays. Colombia is strengthening its own research and production capacity through a €15 million venture loan from the European Investment Bank (EIB), in partnership with the European Commission, to biotechnology company VaxThera.

The agreement, announced in New York on the margins of the 81st United Nations General Assembly, represents the first tranche of an approved €35 million financing package. It will support the second phase of VaxThera's commercial-scale vaccine and biological medicine facility, covering construction, equipment installation and validation, together with technology transfer and research into areas where medical needs remain inadequately met.

Building a Complete Vaccine Production Chain

VaxThera develops, manufactures and commercialises vaccines and biopharmaceutical products, and the investment will help it connect existing infrastructure with a complete manufacturing chain. New capabilities will include upstream processing and precision filling, allowing the company to produce its own vaccines, subject to regulatory approval, and provide contract development and manufacturing services for other biological products.

EIB Vice-President Ambroise Fayolle said the investment would enable VaxThera to produce up to 250 million doses annually, strengthening Colombia's vaccine manufacturing and research capacity and helping Latin America prepare for future health emergencies. Establishing these capabilities locally is expected to reduce reliance on imported vaccines and biological medicines, diversify regional supplies and improve the ability to respond rapidly to epidemics and pandemics.

Three Vaccine Candidates Receive Research Support

A €1.5 million technical assistance grant will support VaxThera's research and development pipeline of three vaccine candidates for infectious diseases of regional and global importance. This funding connects the expansion of manufacturing infrastructure with the scientific work needed to develop future products, supporting an integrated approach to vaccine research and production within Colombia.

The operation is backed by the European Commission through the European Fund for Sustainable Development Plus, or EFSD+, under its Accelerating Human Development guarantee, known as HDX. This framework supports EIB healthcare investment through corporate loans, venture loans and volume or procurement guarantees, with those investments matched by new health investments and grants from the Gates Foundation. The wider Global Gateway initiative supports health systems, research, skills and the manufacture and delivery of vaccines, medicines and health technologies in partner countries.

Skilled Jobs and Stronger Local Expertise

Developing biotechnology products requires substantial upfront spending, lengthy research programmes and the ability to manage scientific and regulatory uncertainty, conditions that can make long-term financing difficult to secure. EIB support will help VaxThera expand specialised infrastructure and advance its research pipeline, addressing this financing gap and helping attract further investment into Colombia's biotechnology sector.

European Commissioner for International Partnerships Jozef Síkela described the investment as a connection between European technology and expertise and Colombian manufacturing and research capacity, with benefits including skilled employment and more reliable access to essential health products. VaxThera CEO Professor Jorge Emilio Osorio said the support would help the company develop its infrastructure, advance innovation and train specialised local talent to serve Colombia and the wider region.

The project is expected to create high-value scientific and technical jobs, strengthen local skills and reinforce the institutions and expertise needed for pandemic preparedness. Bringing research, manufacturing and technology transfer together will support Colombia's development as a regional centre for vaccines, giving Latin America a broader production base and greater capacity to meet future health needs.