Half a percent more economic growth through biontech

The fact that a single company or even a start-up has left such a clear positive footprint on Germany's growth balance is probably unprecedented.

According to a report by the Reuters news agency, the Institute for Macroeconomics and Business Cycle Research and the Kiel Institute for the World Economy estimate that Biontech boosted Germany's economic growth by 0.5 percentage points last year. Overall growth in 2021 was 2.7 percent.

The economy was boosted primarily by licensing income from the coronavirus vaccine Comirnaty and its export. Almost all components of the vaccine are manufactured in Germany. "This is therefore almost pure domestic value creation," Sebastian Dullien, Scientific Director of the Institute for Macroeconomics and Business Cycle Research, told the news agency. "This therefore has a direct positive effect on economic growth."

The past year was also successful for Biontech: according to the company, it generated sales of between 16 and 17 million euros with its vaccine. The company has been in existence since 2008 and was founded by Uğur Şahin and Özlem Türeci.