Type
Internal restructuring
Country
Austria
Region
Westösterreich; Tirol; Tiroler Unterland
Location of affected unit(s)
Kundl
Sector
Manufacturing
(20 - 21) Manufacture of chemicals and pharmaceuticals
21 - Manufacture of basic pharmaceutical products and pharmaceutical preparations
21 - Manufacture of basic pharmaceutical products and pharmaceutical preparations

100 - 190 jobs
Number of planned job losses
Job loss
Announcement Date
12 March 2026
Employment effect (start)
12 March 2026
Foreseen end date

Description

Sandoz, a Swiss-based pharmaceutical company operating in the generics sector, announced approximately 100 job cuts affecting employees in its "Development Center" at its Kundl site in Tyrol, Austria.

The restructuring is linked to the planned closure of the development unit focused on generic medicines, while antibiotic production activities at the same site will remain unaffected. The company is justifying the measure with economic reasons.

The process is currently under consultation with employee representatives, and some reports suggest the number of redundancies could rise to between 170 and 190 due to additional departmental reductions and relocation of activities abroad (notably to Slovenia and India). Trade unions and regional political representatives have strongly criticised the decision, highlighting the contradiction between public subsidies received and the relocation of high-skilled jobs, and have called for urgent negotiations to safeguard employment and maintain the strategic importance of the Kundl site.

Sandoz, headquartered in Switzerland, employs around 2,700 people in Austria and has invested significantly in recent years in its Kundl facility, positioning it as a key European hub for antibiotic production.

The latest case by Sandoz in Austria registered in the ERM events database dates back to an extension in 2015, where the company hired 100 new employees Sandoz 2015 - AT.


Sources

Citation

Eurofound (2026), Sandoz, Internal restructuring in Austria, factsheet number 204455, European Restructuring Monitor. Dublin, https://dev.eurofound.europa.eu/restructuring-events/detail/204455.