AstraZeneca Expands in Nijmegen Through 70 Million Investment in Sustainable Medicine Manufacturing

Nijmegen mayor Hubert Bruls breaks ground on construction of expansion in the Netherlands

AstraZeneca announced a $70 million investment to expand its manufacturing facility in Nijmegen, the Netherlands, adding extra capacity to its sustainable medicine manufacturing. With this expansion, AstraZeneca will elevate their capabilities by facilitating the delivery of new modalities, including antibody drug conjugates. Oost NL and the Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency (NFIA) supported the company in its expansion process, in close collaboration with the Province of Gelderland and the City of Nijmegen. The groundbreaking ceremony was attended by Hubert Bruls, Mayor of Nijmegen, together with Paul Bedford, Site Lead of AstraZeneca Nijmegen, and Per Alfredsson, Senior Vice President Global Biologics Operations at AstraZeneca, officially marking the start of construction.

Central role in filling, inspection and distribution

AstraZeneca’s Nijmegen facility plays a central role in the filling, inspection and distribution of biologic medicines, particularly for clinical research, from potential cancer treatments to vaccines for premature babies. The expansion will add a second fill line to the site, and the number of employees will increase from 100 to approximately 130 at the facility.

Investment in sustainable and accessible healthcare

This investment in the Netherlands underscores AstraZeneca’s conviction that sustainable public-private collaboration and forward-looking investment are essential to keep the Netherlands at the forefront of Life Sciences & Health (LSH), to stimulate economic growth, and to deliver life-changing medicines to patients.

Paul Bedford, Site Lead at AstraZeneca Nijmegen, said: “Our investment in Nijmegen not only strengthens AstraZeneca’s scientific and manufacturing capabilities, but also sends a clear signal about the value of Life Sciences & Health in the Netherlands. By expanding our production footprint, we reaffirm our commitment to Dutch patients, healthcare professionals, and society at large.  Oost NL and NFIA have both played a vital role in making the expansion process smoother.  As non-commercial partners that share personalized, practical, and free advice to support expansion in the Netherlands, they have been valuable partners in actively supporting our presence in the region.”

Support NFIA and Oost NL

Oost NL and the NFIA supported AstraZeneca in exploring financial instruments, identifying solutions for grid congestion, and securing the necessary permits. Susan van Boxtel, Team Manager Foreign Direct Investment at Oost NL, said: “We value AstraZeneca’s active role in the regional Pharma Delta collaboration, where knowledge institutions and business clusters work together on a talent program and shared facilities. The expansion of a global player like AstraZeneca strengthens the pharmaceutical cluster in the Nijmegen-Oss region, and we are proud of that.”

Hilde van der Meer, Commissioner of the NFIA, welcomed AstraZeneca’s Nijmegen expansion in the Netherlands: “AstraZeneca’s trust in the Dutch Life Sciences & Health cluster demonstrates time and again through the investments they make: in their facilities, but most of all investments in their people, in collaboration with researchers, in local businesses and in the community. With this expansion in Nijmegen, AstraZeneca once again strengthens its contribution to the Dutch Life Sciences & Health ecosystem.”

Sustainable location

AstraZeneca’s Nijmegen site is already known for its sustainability ambitions, and this expansion follows AstraZeneca’s global Ambition Zero Carbon program, which is focused on achieving net-zero emissions by 2045. From 2015 to 2024, the company’s global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions have been reduced by 77.5%.  In addition, despite growth, over the same period 20% less energy has been used across the AstraZeneca sites.

In the Netherlands, the company is also making significant progress. In 2021, Nijmegen was the first AstraZeneca site to achieve a 99% reduction in GHG emissions. Moreover, in 2022, AstraZeneca Netherlands became the first site worldwide with a 100% electric vehicle fleet.

Source: AstraZeneca

8 September 2025