Microbial and protein CDMOs in Europe: 34 compared (2026)
34 of the 255 contract development and manufacturing organisations in A4BEE’s European census list microbial and protein manufacturing among their capabilities. The largest, with revenue over €1bn, are AGC Biologics, Biovet (Huvepharma), Boehringer BioXcellence, Gedeon Richter, Lonza, mAbxience and Olon. 9 sit between €250m and €1bn and 18 are smaller or niche.
By ownership: 13 family-owned, 6 private equity, 3 listed, 9 part of a pharma or industrial group and 3 state-owned. They are spread across 17 countries, led by Spain (7), Denmark (4), Germany (4), Lithuania (2) and the Netherlands (2). 19 of the 34 rows rest on audited reports or official company disclosures; the rest come from secondary sources or estimates.
34 companies
Microbial and protein CDMOs in Europe
| Company | Country | Ownership | Size | Revenue (as reported) | Modalities | Data |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AGC BiologicsCopenhagen site expanded to 16,000 L single-use; broad multi-modality platform. | Copenhagen, Denmark | Part of a pharma or industrial groupAGC Inc. | Tier 1 | ~US$1.2 bn (global) | Monoclonal antibody, Microbial and protein, mRNA and LNP, Viral vector and vaccine, Cell and gene therapy | medium |
| Biovet (Huvepharma)Huge fermentation platform — mainly own animal-health APIs but offers custom synthesis/fermentation and human-health APIs. CDMO relevance is microbial API. | Peshtera, Bulgaria | Family-ownedHuvepharma / Domuschiev family | Tier 1 | not disclosed | Microbial and protein, Small-molecule API | low |
| Boehringer BioXcellenceUp to ~185,000 L mammalian capacity; a strategic pharma-owned biologics powerhouse. | Biberach, Germany | Part of a pharma or industrial groupBoehringer Ingelheim | Tier 1 | n/d (group €27.8 bn) | Monoclonal antibody, Microbial and protein, Sterile fill-finish | medium |
| Gedeon RichterPrimarily own-product/biosimilar pharma, but runs a real biologics CDMO arm (mammalian DS + fill-finish) and microbial CDMO via Richter-Helm. Group figures mostly non-CDMO. | Budapest, Hungary | Listed | Tier 1 | ~€2.1 bn (2023, group) | Biologics and biosimilars, Monoclonal antibody, Microbial and protein, Sterile fill-finish, Small-molecule API | high |
| LonzaIntegrated Biologics grew +32.2% CER in 2025; the sector's clear scale + digital leader. | Basel, Switzerland | Listed | Tier 1 | CHF 6.5 bn (2025) | Biologics and biosimilars, Monoclonal antibody, Antibody-drug conjugate (ADC), Small-molecule API, Cell and gene therapy, Microbial and protein | high |
| mAbxienceBiosimilar developer and biologics CDMO; fully single-use technology at León. CDMO services confirmed. | León, Spain | Part of a pharma or industrial groupFresenius Kabi | Tier 1 | not disclosed | Monoclonal antibody, Biologics and biosimilars, Microbial and protein | high |
| OlonOne of Europe's largest API CDMOs; absorbed Euticals. Chemical synthesis + microbial fermentation, HPAPI, ADC bioconjugation. | Rodano, Italy | Family-owned | Tier 1 | ~€546 m (2024, group) | Small-molecule API, Microbial and protein, Peptide, Antibody-drug conjugate (ADC), Biologics and biosimilars | high |
| Antibiotice IașiState-controlled, BVB-listed; world leader in Nystatin API by fermentation. Explicit EU-GMP contract manufacturing plus sterile injectables, capsules, tablets. | Iași, Romania | State-ownedRomanian state (majority) | Tier 2 | not disclosed | Small-molecule API, Microbial and protein, Oral solid dose, Sterile fill-finish | high |
| Centrient PharmaceuticalsFormerly DSM Sinochem. Enzymatic beta-lactam antibiotics, statins, antifungals; APIs plus finished dosage and CDMO. | Rijswijk, Netherlands | Private equityBain Capital | Tier 2 | ~€560 m | Small-molecule API, Microbial and protein | high |
| CIPANAPI CDMO via fermentation and chemical synthesis (founded 1960). FDA-approved; anti-infectives, psychotropics. Part of Suanfarma. | Castanheira do Ribatejo, Portugal | Private equitySuanfarma | Tier 2 | not disclosed | Small-molecule API, Microbial and protein | high |
| Farmhispania GroupIndependent private API CDMO; leading European CDMO in HPAPI (cytotoxics) plus fermentation and large-scale lyophilisation. | Montmeló, Spain | Family-owned | Tier 2 | not disclosed | Small-molecule API, Microbial and protein | high |
| NorthX BiologicsBiologics CDMO built on the former Cobra Biologics Matfors site; Swedish national innovation hub for ATMPs. | Matfors, Sweden | Private equityFlerie Invest | Tier 2 | not disclosed | Microbial and protein, Biologics and biosimilars, mRNA and LNP, Viral vector and vaccine, Cell and gene therapy, Monoclonal antibody, Sterile fill-finish | low |
| Novo Nordisk PharmatechThird-party supplier of quaternary ammonium APIs/excipients, recombinant insulin for media, and recombinant enzymes. Sells to external customers. | Køge, Denmark | Part of a pharma or industrial groupNovo Nordisk | Tier 2 | not disclosed | Small-molecule API, Microbial and protein, Biologics and biosimilars | high |
| Rentschler BiopharmaComplex-protein pure-play; exited CGT in 2025 to refocus on biologics. | Laupheim, Germany | Family-owned | Tier 2 | ~US$296 m (2025) | Biologics and biosimilars, Monoclonal antibody, Microbial and protein | medium |
| SUANFARMASpain-HQ B2B life-sciences; CDMO offers end-to-end small-molecule dev/manufacturing combining fermentation and synthesis. | Alcobendas, Spain | Private equityArchiMed | Tier 2 | not disclosed | Small-molecule API, Microbial and protein | high |
| Xellia PharmaceuticalsFermentation-based non-beta-lactam anti-infectives; APIs + FDF to 500+ pharma companies, plus CMO/CDMO services. Phasing out Copenhagen manufacturing. | Copenhagen, Denmark | Part of a pharma or industrial groupNovo Holdings | Tier 2 | not disclosed | Small-molecule API, Sterile fill-finish, Microbial and protein | high |
| 3PBIOVIANMerger of 3P Biopharmaceuticals (Spain) + Biovian (Finland). | Noáin, Spain | Private equityKeensight | Tier 3 | ~US$81 m | Microbial and protein, Viral vector and vaccine, Cell and gene therapy | medium |
| 53BiologicsSpanish biologics CDMO (2017); recombinant proteins from DNA to protein — cell line dev, banking, GMP manufacturing. | Boecillo, Spain | Family-owned | Tier 3 | not disclosed | Biologics and biosimilars, Microbial and protein | medium |
| BioneerCombined CRO + CDMO; process dev and GMP/non-GMP manufacturing of recombinant proteins/enzymes. Not-for-profit GTS institute, DTU subsidiary. | Hørsholm, Denmark | State-ownedTechnical University of Denmark | Tier 3 | not disclosed | Biologics and biosimilars, Microbial and protein, Monoclonal antibody | high |
| Cerbios-Pharma~50-year-old CDMO for HPAPIs, ADCs, recombinant proteins and live biotherapeutics; acquired by HAS Healthcare 2025. | Lugano, Switzerland | Private equityHAS Healthcare | Tier 3 | not disclosed | Small-molecule API, Antibody-drug conjugate (ADC), Biologics and biosimilars, Microbial and protein | high |
| DeretilGlobal leader in side chains for beta-lactam antibiotics; custom synthesis/enzymatic chiral tech. Founded 1961. | Cuevas del Almanzora, Spain | Family-owned | Tier 3 | not disclosed | Small-molecule API, Microbial and protein | high |
| Ercros (Pharmaceuticals)Listed chemicals group; pharma division makes generic APIs (antibiotics via fermentation) AND custom/contract manufacturing. | Aranjuez, Spain | Listed | Tier 3 | not disclosed | Small-molecule API, Microbial and protein | high |
| GenIbet BiopharmaceuticalsBiologics CDMO: microbial, cell culture, viral process dev + cGMP manufacture plus fill-finish. Made mRNA material for Moderna. | Oeiras, Portugal | Part of a pharma or industrial groupRecipharm | Tier 3 | not disclosed | Biologics and biosimilars, Microbial and protein, Viral vector and vaccine, Cell and gene therapy, mRNA and LNP, Sterile fill-finish | high |
| GTP BiowaysBiologics CDMO (mAbs, proteins, nanodrugs, ADCs, fill-finish). Acquired by Italy's Olon; now Olon France. | Toulouse, France | Part of a pharma or industrial groupOlon Group | Tier 3 | ~€12 m | Monoclonal antibody, Biologics and biosimilars, Antibody-drug conjugate (ADC), Microbial and protein, Sterile fill-finish | high |
| IntravaccVaccine CDMO for infectious-disease/therapeutic vaccines, PoC to Phase I/II. State-owned; sale announced. | Bilthoven, Netherlands | State-ownedDutch State | Tier 3 | not disclosed | Viral vector and vaccine, Biologics and biosimilars, Microbial and protein | high |
| Kaneka EurogentecBiologics CDMO: microbial proteins, GMP plasmid DNA, oligonucleotides, peptides; added GMP mRNA (made a COVID vaccine). | Seraing, Belgium | Part of a pharma or industrial groupKaneka | Tier 3 | not disclosed | Biologics and biosimilars, Microbial and protein, mRNA and LNP, Peptide | high |
| Northway BiotechCEE cost-competitive biologics CDMO scaling to 5,000 L stainless steel. | Vilnius, Lithuania | Family-owned | Tier 3 | n/d | Monoclonal antibody, Microbial and protein, Biologics and biosimilars, Sterile fill-finish, Viral vector and vaccine, Cell and gene therapy | medium |
| Nova LaboratoriesIndependent aseptic-processing CDMO + 'Specials' supplier; sterile fill-finish for clinical-trial medicines. | Leicester, United Kingdom | Family-owned | Tier 3 | not disclosed | Sterile fill-finish, Monoclonal antibody, Biologics and biosimilars, Microbial and protein | medium |
| Paras BiopharmaceuticalsFounder-led microbial-biologics CDMO: recombinant biologics/biosimilars in microbial systems, plus peptides and proteins. Scales 10L→750L+. | Oulu, Finland | Family-owned | Tier 3 | not disclosed | Biologics and biosimilars, Microbial and protein, Peptide | medium |
| Polpharma BiologicsJune 2025 demerger: biosimilars brand stays as Polpharma Biologics (operating from Switzerland); the CDMO becomes Rezon Bio. | Gdańsk, Poland | Family-ownedPolpharma | Tier 3 | ~US$18–100 m est. | Biologics and biosimilars, Monoclonal antibody, Microbial and protein | low |
| Rezon BioCDMO carved out of Polpharma Biologics (June 2025); positions to be Europe's most cost-competitive CDMO. | Gdańsk, Poland | Family-ownedPolpharma | Tier 3 | n/d | Biologics and biosimilars, Monoclonal antibody, Microbial and protein | low |
| Richter BiologicsGerman microbial/biologics CDMO. | Hamburg, Germany | Family-owned | Tier 3 | n/d | Biologics and biosimilars, Microbial and protein | low |
| Wacker BiotechHalle mRNA competence centre; microbial proteins + pDNA up to 1,500 L fermentation. | Munich, Germany | Part of a pharma or industrial groupWacker Chemie | Tier 3 | n/d | Microbial and protein, mRNA and LNP, Viral vector and vaccine | low |
| Wellgem BiopharmaBiologics contract dev/manufacturing: mammalian + microbial cell-line/process dev, cGMP cell banking, Phase II pilot facility. Newer entrant. | Vilnius, Lithuania | Family-owned | Tier 3 | not disclosed | Biologics and biosimilars, Monoclonal antibody, Microbial and protein, Viral vector and vaccine, Cell and gene therapy | medium |
Size: Tier 1 (revenue over €1bn) · Tier 2 (€250m–€1bn) · Tier 3 (under €250m or niche).
Revenue, staff and site figures are as reported and mix audited accounts with commercial estimates, which are often wrong for private companies. Each row carries a confidence mark; verify a figure before quoting it.
Browse the census
Other European CDMO lists
By country
- CDMOs in Italy (31)
- CDMOs in Spain (30)
- CDMOs in Germany (28)
- CDMOs in the United Kingdom (25)
- CDMOs in France (15)
- CDMOs in Switzerland (14)
- CDMOs in Poland (11)
- CDMOs in Belgium (9)
- CDMOs in Sweden (9)
- CDMOs in Greece (8)
- CDMOs in Ireland (8)
- CDMOs in the Netherlands (8)
- CDMOs in Portugal (8)
- CDMOs in Denmark (7)
- CDMOs in Austria (5)
- CDMOs in Finland (5)
- CDMOs in Norway (5)
- CDMOs in Czechia (4)
- CDMOs in Lithuania (4)
- CDMOs in Bulgaria (3)
By modality
- Small-molecule API CDMOs in Europe (107)
- Oral solid dose CDMOs in Europe (94)
- Sterile fill-finish CDMOs in Europe (106)
- Biologics and biosimilars CDMOs in Europe (66)
- Monoclonal antibody CDMOs in Europe (36)
- Antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) CDMOs in Europe (15)
- Cell and gene therapy CDMOs in Europe (29)
- mRNA and LNP CDMOs in Europe (22)
- Viral vector and vaccine CDMOs in Europe (32)
- Microbial and protein CDMOs in Europe
- Peptide CDMOs in Europe (24)