Hanoi (VNA) – French President Emmanuel Macron, Vice President Vo Thi Anh Xuan and senior leaders of France and Vietnam pressed the button to start the construction of the VNVC vaccine and biological products factory in the southern province of Long An, realising the cooperation plan to transfer vaccine production technology between the two strategic partners.

The factory covering an area of 26,000 sq.m has an initial investment of 2 trillion VND (77.17 million USD) and a designed capacity of up to 100 million vaccine doses per year. It is expected to be put into operation by the end of 2027, gradually receiving technology transfer from France’s Sanofi to localise the production of important vaccines, new technology vaccines of Sanofi, serving the vaccination needs in Vietnam and joining in the global supply chain.

The groundbreaking ceremony took place one day after the VNVC Vaccine JS Company and Sanofi Group exchanged cooperation documents on vaccine production technology transfer under the witness of State President Luong Cuong and French President Emmanuel Macron.

The construction of the factory is an important milestone in realising the comprehensive strategic partnership between France and Vietnam in medicine and biotechnology, which is expected to make practical contributions to the common achievements of the two countries in medicine and health care.

At the same time, it demonstrates the strong determination of Vietnamese enterprises to proactively expand international cooperation, gain access to and master advanced biomedical technologies, and produce high-tech vaccines, thereby contributing to strengthening preventive medicine capacity and ensuring national health security in the face of threats from dangerous infectious diseases and potential future pandemics.

Besides, VNVC is investing in a 1,500sq.m Research and Development Centre (R&D), focusing on advanced vaccine and biological production technologies, particularly mRNA vaccines.

Ngo Chi Dung, Chairman and CEO of VNVC Vaccine JC Company, said the new factory will help reduce costs, ensure a more proactive domestic, witth the potential for export.

Burak Pekmezci, Country Lead at Sanofi Vietnam,♒ said he expects the new factory, built to global standards, will soon provide vaccines, medicines, and disease prevention solutions to Vietnamese people. This will be a breakthrough project, contributing to Sanofi’s mission of improving public health, he added./.