US-based pharmaceutical and biotechnology company Moderna built a messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccine manufacturing facility in Laval, Quebec, Canada.
Announced in April 2022, the state-of-the-art facility was developed as part of a ten-year strategic partnership between Moderna and the Government of Canada to bolster the country’s preparedness to deal with pandemics in the future.
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The decision to build the facility came after Moderna signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the government in August 2021.
In addition to the facility, the MoU outlined a plan to support the government with direct access to rapid pandemic response capabilities and the company’s vaccines against respiratory viruses.
Construction of the facility began in November 2022 and was completed in February 2024.
The facility received a Drug Establishment Licence from Health Canada to produce drug substances in September 2024 and subsequently produced the first made-in-Canada doses of its Covid-19 vaccine in September 2025.
The Laval facility has the capacity to produce up to 30 million mRNA respiratory vaccine doses a year. The capacity can be increased to 100 million doses in pandemic times.
Moderna’s research and development (R&D) plans are expected to support the life sciences ecosystem within Canada. The partnership is intended to help position the country as an mRNA centre for excellence and a global hub for mRNA R&D.
Details of Moderna’s mRNA vaccine manufacturing facility
Moderna’s drug substance manufacturing facility, spanning 100,000ft2 (9,290m2), is designed to produce a portfolio of messenger RNA vaccines to fight respiratory viruses such as Covid-19, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and seasonal influenza.
The plant also has the flexibility to adjust its manufacturing capability to produce vaccines against novel or emerging viruses.
In May 2023, Moderna signed a long-term agreement with Novocol Pharma to perform the final step in the production cycle including aseptic fill-finish, labelling and packaging of mRNA respiratory vaccines manufactured at the facility.
Sustainability features
The Laval facility features innovative engineering solutions that help the company achieve its ambition to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions across scope 1 and scope 2 by 2030.
It is installed with heat recovery technology, including heat pumps to provide space heating and recovery chillers that capture waste heat from the process cooling plant for use during the winter period. Together, these measures could cut energy demand by as much as 50%.
The facility reduces reliance on fossil fuels by leveraging Quebec’s predominantly renewable electricity supply. It is also installed with adiabatic humidification.
Furthermore, a high-efficiency plumbing specification delivers around 20% greater water savings than conventional alternatives, while variable speed drives for mechanical motors and a building-wide lighting control strategy help to lower total energy consumption.
Moderna’s mRNA platform
Moderna focuses on developing and testing mRNA medicines for a wide range of diseases.
Identifying a particular protein that can prevent or treat a certain disease forms the first step of mRNA medicine development. The next step involves designing an mRNA that will carry instructions for the identified protein.
Moderna’s mRNA platform is a scalable and flexible platform designed to fight existing and emerging pathogens. This helps the company develop medicines in a shorter time than traditional medicines.
In addition, Moderna is working to develop mRNA therapies to tackle cancer and metabolic diseases.
The company has three mRNA products approved by the US Food and Drug Administration: the Covid-19 vaccine SPIKEVAX® and its updated variants; another Covid-19 vaccine, mNEXSPIKE®; and an RSV vaccine mRESVIA®.
Details of Moderna’s product portfolio
Moderna’s mRNA development portfolio covers five medical areas including infectious diseases, rare diseases, immuno-oncology and autoimmune diseases.
The company is developing vaccines for diseases such as Covid-19, influenza, RSV, human metapneumovirus and human parainfluenza virus type 3.
Its therapeutic portfolio includes treatments for interleukin-2 (IL-2) autoimmune disorders, PD-L1 autoimmune hepatitis, OX40L/IL-23/IL-36γ (Triplet) solid tumours, IL-12 tumours and VEGF-A myocardial ischaemia.
Contractors involved
NFOE Architecture was responsible for the facility’s architecture and interior design.
EXP, an engineering and design services provider, delivered engineering services, prepared technical documentation across mechanical, electrical, civil and structural areas, and supervised on-site construction activities.
Turner & Townsend, a professional services company, was appointed to provide project and schedule management, along with risk, cost and commercial management services for the construction of the facility. The contract also included commissioning, qualification and verification services.
CRB Group, a design, engineering, construction and consulting firm, and BTL Construction, a construction and project management company, were also involved in the project.
Marketing commentary on Moderna
Based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Moderna was established in 2010. The company has a clinical portfolio of mRNA vaccines and therapeutics under development, spanning seven different modalities.
Moderna currently has 35 vaccine and therapeutic programmes in its mRNA pipeline. It also holds intellectual property rights to mRNA and lipid nanoparticle formulation.
The company employs more than 4,700 people in 18 countries and earned $1.9bn in revenues in 2025.
