Sanofi S.A.
Location: Neuville-sur-Saône, France and Tuas, Singapore
Project: Modulus
Sanofi’s Modulus twin facilities represent a paradigm shift in vaccine and biologics manufacturing. Conceived as a response to the limitations of traditional single-product, stainless-steel facilities, Modulus redefines agility, scalability, and sustainability in vaccine production. The project was delivered through the simultaneous design and construction of two sites: a greenfield campus in Tuas, Singapore, and a major expansion on the established Sanofi campus in Neuville-sur-Saône, France. This dual-site, parallel execution demonstrates the global replicability of the Modulus platform.
The vision for Modulus was shaped through an extensive and strategic concept development phase, involving deep exploration, cross-functional brainstorming, and technology scouting from adjacent industries. Sanofi, in collaboration with partners, challenged industry norms and tested new ideas to create sister facilities that could adapt not only operationally but strategically over its lifecycle.
Both facilities leverage a modular “ballroom” design with standardized docking stations. This enables rapid reconfiguration for multiple products and process backbones—including mRNA, viral vectors, recombinant proteins, enzymes, and monoclonal antibodies.
The Singapore site's first product is an enzyme, while the France site is a mRNA-based product, showcasing real-world flexibility. This operational agility is matched by strategic flexibility. The facilities are designed to accommodate multiple “product changes” over time, with adaptable production bay sizes, allowing Sanofi to repurpose and extend the asset without major reconstruction. This approach maximizes utilization and minimizes environmental impact.
The twin Modulus facilities mark a strategic transformation in Sanofi’s global manufacturing network. They enhance the company’s ability to deliver critical medicines with speed and flexibility, support pandemic preparedness, and set new benchmarks in safety, sustainability, and digital integration.
Sanofi’s Modulus facilities represent a paradigm shift in biopharmaceutical manufacturing. They are first-of-their-kind modular, scalable, AI-enabled facilities designed to produce multiple vaccine platforms and biologics simultaneously. Traditional vaccine drug substance facilities are typically single-product, custom-built, and inflexible.
Modulus is built around a modular architecture that supports rapid reconfiguration, enabling Sanofi to respond swiftly to public health needs.
The heart of the Modulus facilities innovation is its plug-and-produce modular architecture. Each production area is equipped with standardized docking stations—utility and service hubs designed to accommodate a wide variety of unit operations and equipment. This approach allows manufacturing lines to be rapidly reconfigured for different products or processes. New equipment modules are simply moved in and connected to pre-installed utility, data, and control interfaces.
Another key enabler of operational agility is the use of moveable inflatable walls and advanced heating, ventilation, and air conditioning zoning—allowing dynamic reconfiguration of containment zones. The production ballroom with modular, mobile partitions adapt the space for different biosafety requirements. This allows the facilities to switch between products with varying containment needs. Unlike traditional facilities, where retooling or repurposing a production line can take months, the Modulus design enables changeovers in a matter of days. This flexibility supports concurrent multi-product manufacturing. It also allows Sanofi to quickly respond to shifts in market demand or public health needs, such as during a pandemic.
The facilities feature a highly automated end-to-end material handling system, including autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), standardized kitting crates and totes, and semi-automatic kitting operations. Materials are transferred through air showers, undergo robotic ultraviolet light decontamination, and are delivered to production areas via the appropriate combination of conveyors and AMRs, minimizing manual handling and contamination risk.
Both Modulus sites are underpinned by a fully digitalized architecture, anchored by the 3DEXPERIENCE® platform. This digital twin environment enables real-time monitoring, predictive maintenance, and seamless integration of information technology and operational technology systems. The convergence of manufacturing execution systems, distributed control systems, library information management systems, and robotics platforms ensures data integrity, operational transparency, and rapid troubleshooting.
The Modulus facilities have received international acclaim, including being named among TIME Magazine’s Best Inventions of 2025, and receiving the 2025 Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) Developer Award, the WSH Sharp Award (making it a three-time winner), and the Connected Factory of the Year Award.
The Singapore site's first product is an enzyme, while the Neuville site's is a mRNA-based product, showcasing real-world flexibility. This operational agility is matched by strategic flexibility. The facilities are designed to accommodate multiple “product changes” over time, with adaptable production bay sizes, allowing Sanofi to repurpose and extend the asset without major reconstruction. This approach maximizes utilization and minimizes environmental impact. The Modulus facilities’ impact extends beyond Sanofi, setting new standards for agility, digitalization, sustainability, and global replicability.
The Modulus project stands out as transformative achievement of biopharma manufacturing with operation agility and flexibility, innovative and replicable modular systems, digital and AI-powered operation. It is for those reasons that they are recognized as the 2026 FOYA Category Winner for Innovation – Facility of the Future.
Supply Partners and Key Participants
Manufacturer/Owner: Sanofi S.A.
Engineer/Architect:
- PM Group
- Jacobs International Consultants Pte Ltd
- RSP Architects Planners & Engineers (Pte) Ltd
Commissioning Qualifications and Validation Services: Sanofi S.A.
Construction Manager: Vita PMC SG Pte. Ltd.
Main/General Contractor: Egis Group
Piping Subcontractor: JEL Maintenance Pte Ltd
HVAC Subcontractor: Wah Loon Plant & Instrumentation Pte Ltd
Automation and Control Supplier: Schneider Electric IT Singapore Pte Ltd
Major Equipment Supplier or Contractor:
- Shanghai Morimatsu Pharmaceutical Equipment Engineering Co.
- Sartorius Stedim Singapore Pte Ltd