Due to the strong industry-oriented business model of Fraunhofer ITEM's Pharmaceutical Biotechnology division in Braunschweig, the institute's management, together with Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft headquarters, pursued the takeover of the location and its employees by a private sector company. The Braunschweig location attracted considerable interest from numerous biotech companies. The new owner brings fresh perspectives and resources to fully harness the existing technologies and talents.

The buyer, AveThera GmbH, aims to develop, manufacture and internationally market differentiated biologics. They are therefore investing in the establishment of modern production facilities for biological active ingredients and pharmaceuticals, as well as quality control and assurance laboratories, at their Hennigsdorf location.

Their new location in Braunschweig will complement this infrastructure with additional development and production capacities. In doing so, AveThera is creating conditions for accelerated market access of several biologics products within the next three to four years – with the goal of providing innovative therapies for patients in Germany, Europe and around the world.

Fahimeh Mahboudi, founder of AveThera GmbH, states: “The acquisition of this manufacturing facility for pharmaceutical active ingredients is an important milestone in AveThera's continued development. We are delighted to welcome the highly qualified and motivated team of Fraunhofer ITEM's Pharmaceutical Biotechnology division to our young AveThera family and to shape the location's future together.”

“The acquisition of the Braunschweig location by AveThera GmbH is a significant step in successfully transferring knowledge to industry. Given the location’s strong industry orientation and its highly entrepreneurial business model, the takeover by a private sector company is not only logical but will also enable the site to realize its full innovative potential,” says Holger Hanselka, President of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft. “With this decision, we are not only securing the future of the location but also creating new perspectives for innovation and collaboration in the region. I firmly believe that the employees’ existing expertise aligns optimally with AveThera GmbH's portfolio and will make an important contribution to the company's innovative capacity and success.”

“AveThera GmbH’s acquisition of the Braunschweig location is a significant step in strengthening the biopharmaceutical innovation landscape. We are convinced that this step will not only unleash synergies but also provide new opportunities for research and development in the region. This acquisition is a successful example of the effective transfer of technical expertise to industry, which will sustainably promote the location's innovative strength, and an excellent outcome for all parties involved,” adds Constantin Häfner, Executive Board Member for Research and Transfer at the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft.

Regarding the Pharmaceutical Biotechnology division's team, Norbert Krug, Institute Director at Fraunhofer ITEM, emphasizes: “We are very pleased that our former employees at the Braunschweig location can continue to contribute their proven expertise in biotechnological process development and manufacturing together. We wish them all the best and every success in their future work with AveThera GmbH.”

AveThera GmbH was strategically supported by Leva Sciences GmbH during the transaction. Its founder and managing director, Andreas Herrmann, states: “Successfully brokering the agreement is an important milestone for AveThera. With the acquisition of Fraunhofer ITEM's Pharmaceutical Biotechnology division, the company is sharpening its profile in the dynamically growing market for biological active ingredients while simultaneously accelerating the expansion of production and marketing capacities.”

The Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) welcomes the preservation of GMP production in Braunschweig, emphasizing that this will strengthen the innovative power of the research campus and its further development. AveThera expands the circle of biotechnology companies at the location and is now part of the innovation campus.

The transition of Fraunhofer ITEM's Braunschweig location with its employees took place on March 16, 2026.