Europe’s pivotal choice: Vaccination is health security

Europe treats vaccination as a cornerstone of collective health security, economic strength, and societal resilience. Coordinating domestic policies, council recommendations, and European level funding, it supports next generation platform innovation, boost uptake, and tackle hesitancy. This integrated framework positions the European biotech sector as a global leader in vaccine development and pandemic preparedness.

A recent example is the European Commission’s commitment to spend €225 million to accelerate the development of next generation flu vaccines. The initiative will explore multiple vaccines in parallel via precommercial procurement contracts with three European consortiums and organizations. One of those is ­NOFLU, a pan-European initiative of seven partners, including Ethris. NOFLU supports the advancement of an mRNA-based mucosal vaccine against pandemic influenza, leveraging our technology. mRNA-based vaccines and innovative approaches like mucosal delivery are relevant work to deliver improved protection against respiratory viruses, and an approach Europe is investing in.

NOFLU brings together complementary expertise spanning mRNA formulation and delivery, preclinical research, and clinical trial execution up to commercialization. It showcases a European model that is collaborative, platform-centric and milestone-driven.

Sustaining Europe’s leadership in vaccine innovation and pandemic preparedness requires two reinforcing pillars: continuous political and financial support at European and national levels, and robust venture capital investment in early-stage innovation. Public funding derisks breakthrough platforms and ensures that preparedness is not left to market cycles alone, while private capital drives speed, scalability and translational excellence across the biotech ecosystem. Aligning these forces will strengthen Europe’s long-term resilience and foster public health.

Carsten Rudolph, PhD is a co-founder of Ethris and the lead inventor of its SNIM® RNA Technology. His deep expertise is delivering mRNA specifically to the lungs. He is the inventor of 15 patents/applications and has authored more than 120 scientific publications. Carsten is affiliated with the Dr. von Haunersche Children’s Hospital, part of Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich. He obtained his pharmaceutical degree from the Freie Universität Berlin.

This article was originally published in European Biotechnology Magazine Spring 2026.