European Vaccines Hub for Pandemic Readiness marks one year of progress

The EVH consortium comprises 11 beneficiaries and 13 affiliated and associated entities from 7 European countries, including leading organizations directly involved in vaccine development and responsible for pandemic preparedness at national level. The project is coordinated by the Sclavo Vaccines Association, a non profit organization based in Siena (Italy), committed to advancing vaccine research and development. Dr. Vanessa Melhorn, head of the team “Adaptive Infectious Disease Diagnostics” in the HZI department “Epidemiology”, leads a work package on data management and AI in the EVH.
Structured around four complementary pillars spanning the entire vaccine development pipeline, EVH integrates institutions with long standing expertise and infrastructure:

• Pillar 1: Discovery, led by Fondazione Biotecnopolo di Siena (Italy);
• Pillar 2: Preclinical Studies, led by Institut Pasteur (France);
• Pillar 3: Clinical Studies, led by Vaccinopolis, University of Antwerp (Belgium);
• Pillar 4: Regulatory and Manufacturing, led by DZIF and ZEPAI at the Paul-Ehrlich-Institut (Germany).

Hosting the meeting in Marburg, a major European center for infectious disease research and vaccine manufacturing, highlighted the strategic importance of manufacturing readiness and scale-up within EVH’s mission to ensure the rapid deployment of vaccines during future pandemics.

“The European Vaccines Hub is a very innovative project that leverages capabilities present in the Hub with the ability to integrate European partners with innovative projects, to build an end-to-end capacity to deliver vaccines and monoclonals against emerging infections. I am very proud of the achievements of the first year of operation, they confirm the innovative design is delivering.” said Prof. Rino Rappuoli, Scientific Director of Fondazione Biotecnopolo di Siena and Coordinator of the project. 

“This meeting marks an important milestone in strengthening collaboration and integration across the four pillars of the European Vaccines Hub,” added Donata Medaglini Deputy Rector of the University of Siena and EVH Scientific Coordinator. “By connecting expertise, infrastructures, and coordinated activities across Europe, EVH is creating a collaborative framework capable of accelerating preparedness and enabling a faster and more effective response to emerging health threats.”

“The European Vaccines Hub is an innovative mechanism to create an R&D network securing both resilience and innovation in pandemic vaccine development. It is a pleasure to host the meeting here where an outbreak initiated Marburg virus research!” said Prof. Dr. Isabelle Bekeredjian-Ding, Chair of Medical Microbiology at Marburg University, Pillar 4 Lead and member of the German Center for Infection Research (DZIF). 

“One year on, the European Vaccines Hub stands as a testament to what Europe can achieve when we unite expertise along the entire value chain of vaccine development, from discovery to regulatory and manufacturing under a shared mission: to turn preparedness into action. The EVH’s rapid progress, including advancing medical countermeasures R&D for avian influenza and mpox, demonstrates how DG HERA’s strategic investments are building the end-to-end resilience Europe needs to face future threats. Through the EVH, we are not only accelerating innovation but ensuring that vaccines reach citizens swiftly when the next crisis strikes.” said Florika Fink-Hooijer, Director-General of DG HERA. 

During the three day meeting, participants reviewed scientific and operational progress, refined shared procedures and standards, and discussed alignment with international pandemic preparedness strategies, including WHO endorsed pathogen prioritization for the European region. Particular attention was given to digitalization, data integration, and coordination with manufacturers to accelerate vaccine availability in emergency situations. Through long term collaboration and investment, EVH aims to deliver a sustainable, proactive vaccine development ecosystem that enhances Europe’s readiness for future pandemics.