IMeBIO, a specialist in mobile and modular controlled environment solutions, has announced that it has been awarded a major strategic contract by the East African Community.

This project forms part of the regional programme “Network of Public Health Laboratories for Communicable Diseases – Phase II”, funded by KfW (Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau, a German development bank) and aimed at strengthening surveillance and diagnostic capacities in East Africa. It involves the provision of six containerised biosafety level 3 (BSL-3) laboratories.

Modular laboratories in East Africa: IMeBIO selected for deployment and training

IMeBIO was selected following a restricted tender process for its ability to design and manufacture containerised P3 laboratories and turnkey mobile controlled-environment solutions.

Decision-makers from the East African Community (EAC), accompanied by an expert from the Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, visited the IMeBIO site in France to validate the facilities against technical, operational and biosafety requirements. This validation represents a key milestone in ensuring that the facilities meet operational needs on the ground in East Africa.

The six complete units, comprising a chassis and a containerised laboratory, will be assembled and then deployed in East Africa by IMeBIO’s technical teams. This turnkey approach ensures optimal installation and comprehensive training for local teams. The strategic project will sustainably strengthen diagnostic and health surveillance capacities in East Africa, contributing to the resilience of health systems and cooperation between EAC member states.

This expansion into East Africa is part of a long-standing track record of export success, with IMeBIO having already established more than 50 P2, P3 and GMP laboratories worldwide since its inception.

Containerised laboratories: solutions to address biosecurity challenges in East Africa

These mobile P3 laboratories are specifically designed to enable:

  • Bacterial culture in the field under conditions of maximum microbiological safety
  • Monitoring antimicrobial resistance (AMR), a major public health issue in the region
  • Rapid diagnosis of communicable diseases directly in the field.

Biosafety Level 3 enables the safe handling of potentially dangerous pathogens, thanks to containment, filtration and decontamination systems that comply with the most stringent international standards.

The six laboratories will be deployed using a modular architecture designed as a fully integrated two-part system, at the heart of the C-MOBILE solution developed by the French company, comprising:

  • a self-contained chassis incorporating all technical systems (electrical, hydraulic and fluid management), ensuring full operational autonomy
  • a 20-foot ISO container housing a turnkey containerised laboratory, along with all the necessary biosafety and diagnostic equipment

This design enables the space to be optimised to the full, ensures the seamless integration of technical systems, and guarantees reliability and autonomy, resulting in safe, dependable operations that meet the requirements for biosafety in the field.

About IMeBIO: Founded in 2008, IMeBIO designs and manufactures turnkey controlled-environment solutions, available in mobile or modular formats, integrated into shipping containers or customised modules. These solutions meet the diverse needs of various industries for their research, manufacturing or testing processes. Their core expertise lies in the creation of biosafety level 2 and 3 laboratories, as well as GMP bioproduction laboratories.

IMeBIO, specialists in mobile/modular controlled environments:


For further information, please contact:
📧 contact@imebio.com
📞 +33 (0)4 80 04 24 20
🌐 www.imebio.com