Half a percent more economic growth through biontech

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

According to a report by Reuters news agency, the Macroeconomic Policy Institute and the Kiel Institute for the World Economy estimate that Biontech boosted Germany's economic growth by 0.5 percentage point last year. It said overall growth in 2021 was 2.7 percent.

The economy was boosted mainly by royalty income from the coronavirus vaccine Comirnaty and its export, it said. Almost all components of the vaccine are manufactured in Germany. "This is therefore almost purely domestic value creation," Sebastian Dullien, the academic director of the Macroeconomic Policy Institute, told the news agency. "That therefore has a direct positive impact on economic growth."

Last year was also successful for Biontech, which said it turned over 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.