Covid: freezers, bottles ... The success of German SMEs in the vaccine race

REPORTAGE

Made in Germany has perhaps never been the center of attention.

In the race for the vaccine against Covid-19, beyond the work of researchers, a whole production chain is being put in place to be able to supply the planet in a minimum of time.

At the heart of this system are several German SMEs whose products are now being torn apart by the whole world.

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Freezers down to -90 ° C

200% more production in two weeks.

The freezers of the Binder company, based in southern Germany, can drop to -90 ° C, so to prepare for storage of the vaccine, German regions have started ordering it in the spring.

Today, the whole world is knocking on his door.

Result: the 450 employees in this company all work overtime, explains boss Peter Michael Binder.

"We are not going to embark on the construction of a new factory which would only be ready in two years, and therefore it is in the short term that we have to find ways to produce more," he explains. he at the microphone of Europe 1.

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Condition three quarters of vaccine doses around the world

Powerful, these freezers cost 20,000 euros each, and can contain up to 40,000 doses of vaccines, packaged in vials, which are also made in Germany.

Bottles made of ultra-resistant glass, borosilicate, invented 130 years ago by a chemist from Mainz.

And since then, the patent has not changed, specifies the spokesperson for Schott, Salvatore Ruggiero.

"This is our recipe: a very pure glass, of maximum quality, so that no external particles come into contact with the vaccine."

These vials will be used to package three quarters of vaccine doses around the world.

Schott plans to sell two billion in a few months.