From Covid to Cancer, Europe’s mRNA Strategy Takes Shape

Targeted funding and new facilities show a steady push to extend mRNA science beyond Covid-era vaccines

24 Oct 2025

Europe’s mRNA sector is advancing through targeted funding and selective infrastructure projects, as policymakers and companies seek to extend the technology beyond its pandemic-era use into cancer treatment and long-term vaccine capacity.

Rather than a broad revival, recent developments point to measured progress by a small number of groups focused on delivery systems, oncology applications and global manufacturing resilience.

One example is Belgium-based eTheRNA, which in July 2025 reported advances in extrahepatic delivery of mRNA using its lipid nanoparticle platform. The update reflects continued interest in personalised cancer therapies, an area where European developers are pursuing incremental, data-driven gains after mixed clinical results in recent years.

Alongside this, BioNTech is expanding its manufacturing footprint through a project backed by European public institutions. The European Investment Bank and the European Commission have committed up to €95mn to support the development of a modular mRNA vaccine production facility in Kigali, Rwanda. The site is intended to increase scalable manufacturing capacity and improve access to vaccines in low and middle-income countries.

Although the facility will be located outside Europe, the project underscores how European-backed initiatives are shaping mRNA infrastructure globally. EU officials have argued that strengthening production capacity abroad can reduce supply bottlenecks and support preparedness for future health emergencies.

Analysts say these moves point to a cautious but sustained commitment to mRNA technologies. European governments appear focused on building a long-term base for therapeutic development and manufacturing, even as investment levels remain below those seen during the Covid-19 crisis.

Significant challenges remain. Personalised cancer vaccines are costly to produce, and scaling up manufacturing while maintaining quality is complex. Competition from the US and parts of Asia is intensifying, putting pressure on European groups to move efficiently from research to clinical and commercial stages. Uncertainty around intellectual property, particularly for delivery technologies, also continues to weigh on the sector.

Even so, companies such as eTheRNA, BioNTech and CureVac continue to refine their platforms. With targeted funding, selective partnerships and expanding international capacity, Europe is positioning itself as a steady, if cautious, contributor to the next phase of mRNA development.